Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian South Africa-born entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has seen his net worth soar to over $440 billion (R7.8 trillion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This milestone cements Musk as the world’s richest individual and places his fortune above South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which stood at $377.78 billion in…
Elizabeth Antidius Shumbusho | Africa Guardian SpaceX’s Starlink internet service is rapidly reshaping Africa’s telecommunications landscape by offering faster connectivity and reaching underserved rural areas. While it plays a positive role in providing vital services like telemedicine and digital education, its limited local involvement, regulatory hurdles, and business practices raise concerns. In less than two years, Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite…
By Charles Muchoki | Africa Guardian During the UN General Assembly in New York, business magnate Elon Musk met separately with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matakane to discuss potential business ventures. President Ramaphosa’s discussions with Musk focused on exploring investment opportunities in South Africa, as confirmed by Ramaphosa’s office on X. While details…
By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian When Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s first “master plan” in 2006, the idea that batteries could revolutionize the automotive industry—and global energy systems—seemed far-fetched. Yet today, electric vehicles are gaining market share, and large-scale batteries are replacing fossil-fuel power plants on electrical grids. This year alone, U.S. developers plan to add 15 gigawatts of…
By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian Elon Musk has revealed that SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, is currently awaiting regulatory approval in South Africa. This update comes after a South African user expressed frustration on Twitter/X about the slow internet service available on his farm. The user, who posted a photo of a fixed wireless-access antenna on his farm,…
By Charles Muchoki | Africa Guardian Elon Musk’s Starlink is poised to shake up Africa’s internet landscape with a new router-free service, potentially disrupting the market dominance of established telecom giants like Safaricom and MTN. By eliminating the need for costly hardware, Starlink aims to lower barriers to internet access in a region where high costs have long limited…
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….
President William Ruto has urged satellite internet firm StarLink to work towards reducing the cost of internet access in the country. Speaking on Saturday when he visited the StarLink/SpaceX factory in Los Angeles, United States, Ruto said the organization presents a promising solution for achieving universal internet access in Kenya by overcoming traditional infrastructure limitations. The Head of State…
Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan revealed that Tanzania is planning to build its own satellite and that negotiations to reach the scientific milestone have already begun. Summary Should the plan materialize, Tanzania will join Kenya and Uganda, which have developed and launched satellites into space in the past six months. The President, who was speaking at Azam…
Elon Musk’s satellite Internet firm Starlink announced it will launch in Kenya in the second quarter of this year, posing competition to other players in the industry including Safaricom and Zuku. The billionaire technology entrepreneur’s company announced it is “pending service coverage or regulatory approval”. Kenyans, however, can order and deposit an amount of Ksh12,260 ($99) which is fully…
Since his official takeover of the company on Thursday 27 October, new Twitter owner Elon Musk has wasted no time making changes to the platform. After a fiery start which saw the company’s top executives being sacked by Musk without much ceremony, the billionaire is now reassessing the app’s approach to verified accounts. Twitter blue-tick users are soon to…
Elon Musk’s ties to China through his role as electric car brand Tesla’s biggest shareholder could add complexity to his bid to buy Twitter. Tesla Inc’s ambitions in China might give Beijing that leverage to pressure Twitter to silence human rights activists and other critics Elon Musk’s ties to China through his role as electric car brand Tesla’s biggest…