McKenzie slammed for backing Starlink’s entry into South Africa
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has come under fire for publicly supporting efforts to bring Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, to South Africa despite the controversy surrounding its exemption from local empowerment laws.
McKenzie recently praised the move to ease Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) requirements for satellite service providers, calling Starlink’s potential entry a “game-changer” that would reduce the country’s sky-high data costs and improve internet access in rural areas.
“I support it wholeheartedly,” McKenzie said in a social media post, adding that government should fast-track the process.
However, critics including opposition MPs and civil society groups have accused the minister of undermining South Africa’s economic transformation goals. EFF MP Sihle Lonzi questioned McKenzie’s priorities, pointing to unmet promises in the sports and arts sectors.
The controversy follows a policy proposal from the Department of Communications that would allow foreign tech firms to meet transformation obligations through alternative investments rather than the current 30% local ownership rule.