By Charles Muchoki | Africa Guardian
Starlink, SpaceX’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet service, has officially launched in Botswana, marking the country as the latest addition to the growing list of African nations where Starlink is operational.
Botswana granted an operating license to SpaceX’s Starlink unit, aiming to enhance connectivity in the country, which struggles with high data costs. The country becomes the sixth in Southern Africa to host Starlink services, following Zambia, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe.
Starlink initially applied for a license in Botswana in May 2023. However, the application was rejected in February 2024 due to missing information, leading to a temporary ban on the use and sale of Starlink in the country. This situation changed in May 2024 after a meeting between SpaceX representatives and President Mokgweetsi Masisi at the Africa-US Business Forum in Dallas, Texas. Following this meeting, Botswana lifted the ban and granted Starlink an operating license.
President Masisi urged regulators in Botswana to expedite the approval process, emphasizing the importance of improving internet connectivity, especially for farmers and residents in remote areas where traditional fixed broadband services are unavailable.
With an internet penetration rate of 87%, Botswana still faces some of the highest data prices in Africa. The introduction of Starlink is expected to help bridge this connectivity gap for the country’s 2.6 million residents.
Globally, Starlink serves over 2.6 million customers, providing broadband internet through a network of approximately 5,500 satellites that SpaceX began deploying in 2019.
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