Botswana, Eswatini and Zambia are among the countries that have embraced the company, while South Africa has expressed some reservations.

Elon Musk's satellite internet firm has embarked on an Africa expansion, aiming to cover nearly three-quarters of the continent by 2025. South Africa has taken over the chairmanship of SATA and plans to push the digital transformation agenda for the benefit of millions in the SADC region who remain unconnected.

Sthembiso Dlamini, an executive at Quadripleplay and a delegate at the conference, reflected on Starlink’s impact.

"It came to Africa to disrupt and not only to disrupt it's a revolution," said Dlamini. "The biggest threatened service providers are SATA members because most of them are incumbents. They are government-owned and are the ones who are slow in moving into newer technologies.

"We use Starlink a lot in Eswatini and Zambia because they were the countries allowed, as of 2023, to give us Starlink. And I must say, it's good."



--ChannelAfrica--