In South Africa, hundreds of Starlink users face service termination due to trademark and copyright violations. Connection issues were reported on Facebook groups, with some users contacting unrelated kit importers for assistance. Starlink, though not officially supported in South Africa, provides roaming service. However, users cannot directly ship the Starlink kit to South Africa; it must be registered and delivered to an officially-supported country.
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StarSat Africa imports Starlink kits for South Africans, offering them at R14,999, along with a managed service for R1,299/month. Starlink recently locked 350–400 accounts due to alleged reselling violations and trademark infringement.
According to StarSat Africa, SpaceX took action against resellers for violating Starlink’s Terms of Use and unauthorized use of its brand. SpaceX terminated agreements and suspended accounts, demanding immediate cessation of unauthorized resales and use of the Starlink mark in marketing.
StarSat Africa is working with SpaceX to reinstate accounts, but the process typically takes 24 hours. SpaceX’s rejection of StarSat Africa’s reseller application prompted the company to transition customers to self-management. However, it remains unclear whether locked accounts can still be migrated.
Despite selling residential kits through third-party stores, Starlink mandates that subscriptions be paid directly to them, complicating its launch in South Africa. To continue its strategy, Starlink needs licenses from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa). However, Icasa’s licensing process requires companies to be 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups, posing a challenge for SpaceX’s ownership structure. Additionally, Icasa is not issuing new licenses currently, necessitating acquisition from existing holders, which could cost around R1 million and take months.
Starlink’s reluctance to partner with local ISPs further complicates matters, as authorized resellers are limited to selling specific kits and packages. Upon obtaining network and service licenses, Starlink must also acquire a spectrum license for satellite communication bandwidth.
