Starlink goes live in Eswatini months after receiving license

The country becomes the 8th in Africa to have access to the service.

Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service provider, officially launched in Eswatini yesterday, December 18. The company initially applied for a license to operate in March 2023 and after ticking off regulatory and technical boxes, received the license in June. Starlink uses a low earth orbit to deliver broadband internet to urban and remote areas which is capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, and video calls.

“Starlink is now live in Eswatini, marking the 8th country and 10 overall markets in Africa where service is available,” the company posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Starlink’s most common “Residential” package will cost R1,070 (~$ 58) per month. Hardware and shipping will cost customers another R12,450 (~ $670) for the Standard rectangular antenna.

According to DataReportal, ESwatini has over 710,000 internet users out of a population of just over 1.2 million inhabitants. However, Starlink might be more of a premium service as the country grapples with high poverty rates. According to the World Bank, over 55% of the country’s population lives on less than $3.65 a day.

The other African countries Starlink has a presence in are Mozambique, Rwanda, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Nigeria. In Zimbabwe and Botswana, the regulators have announced that it is vetting the company’s application for an operating license.

Despite making strides in the southern Africa region, Starlink is still facing regulatory pushback in what could be its largest and most lucrative market, South Africa. Its importation and usage have been banned as, according to the country’s competition regulations, Starlink’s  South Africa subsidiary must allocate 30% ownership to historically disadvantaged groups, a provision the company seems to be pushing back against.