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Elon Musk’s SpaceX has promised to invest R500 million to provide free broadband Internet to South African schools, as part of a proposed commitment to secure local clearance for Starlink. The projected investment was reportedly announced in a second email to South Africans interested in satellite Internet access. This follows a back and forth between the nation and Elon Musk.
If it receives local approval, the company plans to roll out Starlink Internet to 5,000 schools across the country, delivering free high-speed Internet access to around 2.4 million students.
Starlink also shared a letter addressed to Parks Tau, the commerce and industry minister, in which it reaffirmed its commitment to providing high-speed, low-latency internet across the country. Starlink Market Access senior director Ryan D. Goodnight noted that the company intended to contribute to addressing the country’s lack of access to educational resources.
By Gamuchirai Mapako
“Starlink proposes to provide over 5,000 rural schools with fully funded Starlink kits and service in addition to facilitating the installation support alongside local South African companies,” Goodnight said.
Goodnight stated that this would not only improve the lives of millions of kids, but would also help the South African government achieve its goals under SA Connect.
SpaceX asked those who had previously expressed interest in Starlink to show their support for a policy direction presented by communications minister Solly Malatsi.
If implemented, the Department of Communications Digital Technologies Policy Direction No. 3218 would, among other things, establish Equity Equivalence Investment Programmes (EEIPs) in the ICT industry.
EEIPs are an alternate method for multinational corporations to comply with broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBBE) laws without fulfilling the 30% historically disadvantaged ownership requirement.
They are already being used in other industries, including as banking, manufacturing, technology, and pharmaceuticals.
Starlink stated that the inclusion of EEIPs in the ICT sector would enable it to expand broadband connectivity throughout the country, including underserved townships, farms, communities, and rural schools.
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