Do we need Starlink in South Africa?

CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit speaks to the Editor of TechCentral, Duncan McLeod.

Listen below:

There have been numerous mentions of the SpaceX satellite internet service Starlink over the past few days, especially in the context of it being a potential negotiation tool between South Africa and the United States.

The service is not currently allowed to operate in South Africa due to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) laws, but there is already some illegal use in the country.

So, how important is this potential relationship?

"South Africa is a very important market for Starlink... there's expected to be very high demand here. I've read some reports suggesting South Africa could be in the top 10 in the world in terms of Starlink users, once the service is actually launched here."

- Duncan McLeod, Editor - TechCentral

McLeod explains that it's a useful connectivity solution for those living in remote areas and small towns, especially those still relying on expensive mobile data.

RELATED: Elon Musk’s Starlink 'life-changing' for rural South Africa

"It will certainly be helpful in the rural economy... what it's not going to do is provide internet access to the poor."

- Duncan McLeod, Editor - TechCentral

On the issue of where Starlink comes in on the question of tariffs and 'capture', like with Lesotho granting the provider a 10-year operating licence last month, McLeod does have some concerns.

"At best, this is crony capitalism... I think there are all sorts of conflicts of interest here, which the US president is simply ignoring. It is worrying."

- Duncan McLeod, Editor - TechCentral

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.