Elon Musk Accuses South Africa of Racism Over Starlink License

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and owner of Starlink, has publicly accused the South African government of racism after his company was denied an operating license in the country. Musk, who was born in South Africa, claimed that the denial was based on the country's black economic empowerment policies, which require telecommunications licenses to have at least 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups, primarily black South Africans, women, and people with disabilities.

He stated that South Africa would not allow Starlink to operate simply because he is not black and criticized the notion of bribing officials to obtain a license. Musk emphasized that racism should not be rewarded, regardless of the race of the applicant.

He also pointed out that many U.S. companies, including Microsoft, successfully operate in South Africa under compliance with local laws. South African officials have repeatedly dismissed Musk's claims, asserting that the company has not submitted a complete application that complies with existing regulations.