The call for a concerted fight against porous borders and a coordinated battle against rampant criminality in South Africa was articulated at the highest levels of bilateral relations with the USA last night, as the world watched on live television broadcasts that have become the hallmark of President Trump’s administration. With multiple stakeholders finally conceding that the war against criminality and gangsterism is undeniably affecting investment, there was consensus that the Government may need to find technology partners for the rapid deployment of solutions. These include satellite technologies and drones from firms like Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet service could find its most effective pathway to operating officially in South Africa through an unexpected, yet strategically potent, alliance: a partnership with SENTECH, the state-owned signal distributor. Such a collaboration not only offers a crucial lifeline to a struggling state-owned entity but also presents a robust framework for Starlink to navigate South Africa’s intricate regulatory landscape.
Crime Fight Fuels Tech Push: Urgent Calls for Starlink to Combat SA Criminality.
The urgency for high-speed and ubiquitous connectivity was top of the menu last night when President Ramaphosa and his Cabinet colleagues engaged a hostile Donald Trump at the White House’s Oval Office. Whilst the South African delegation simultaneously warded off trumped-up allegations of a white genocide in the country, and all stakeholders were at pains to emphasise that criminality affected citizens across the board, multiple calls for technological intervention resonated.
During this high-stakes meeting in a tense Oval Office, COSATU’s Secretary-General, Zingiswa Lozi, emotionally acknowledged to the world, “We all agree that South Africa is a violent society, affecting both rural and, in particular, vulnerable old people. We need technology to combat this wave of criminality.”
As a visibly glum Donald Trump watched on, businessman Johann Rupert, seizing the moment, addressed Elon Musk directly across the room and unequivocally stated, “That’s why we need Starlink in every police station and the rural areas of South Africa.”
SENTECH’s B-BBEE Level 1 opens a regulatory path for Starlink
While South Africa’s various broadband players, particularly its dominant telecoms, have commendably achieved deeper voice coverage, they have conspicuously fallen short in delivering on universal service obligations for high-speed internet. The high-level deliberations in the Oval Office, which underscored the urgent need for deeper connectivity, could now throw a crucial lifeline to SENTECH, the state-owned signal distributor.
A direct partnership between SENTECH and Starlink presents a compelling opportunity for a rapid, high-profile win for President Ramaphosa’s administration, especially with a crucial ally of President Trump, Elon Musk, at the helm of Starlink. This “low-hanging fruit” alliance could offer immediate, substantial benefits, fundamentally addressing the impasse Starlink has faced in South Africa.
SENTECH’s deep B-BBEE Level 1 contributor status and existing licenses inherently resolve the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) requirements that have impeded Starlink’s formal entry. On the technical front, SENTECH’s extensive network of transmission towers provides ideal, pre-approved locations for Starlink’s crucial ground stations (gateways) and terrestrial backhaul, drastically cutting down deployment costs and time.
Such a collaboration would powerfully leverage SENTECH’s vast physical assets and public mandate to swiftly accelerate the rollout of high-speed, low-latency internet to underserved communities, directly aligning with pressing national development goals.
A Unified Public-Private Approach with Orbicom
Furthermore, this potential partnership could be broadened to encompass Orbicom, ensuring a truly comprehensive public-private solution. Orbicom, now strategically positioned and with its BEE credentials reinforced following the Competition Commission’s approval of the Canal+/MultiChoice merger, offers specialised expertise in digital compression and private sector satellite operations. SENTECH could proactively reach out to Orbicom to explore how their combined capabilities could present a formidable, compliant, and highly effective market entry strategy for Starlink.
This joint approach could achieve two critical outcomes. First, it would significantly bolster BEE compliance by leveraging both SENTECH’s state-owned status and Orbicom’s specialised private sector expertise. Second, it would ensure comprehensive infrastructure and service access, as the combined forces of SENTECH’s expansive rural terrestrial network and Orbicom’s proficiency in private satellite ground operations would offer Starlink a truly national and diversified infrastructure backbone.
Crucially, the Electronic Communications Act (ECA), particularly its provisions on interconnection, provides the legal backbone for such multi-party arrangements. This framework ensures Starlink the necessary leverage to access existing infrastructure, regardless of ownership, paving the way for efficient market entry.
In essence, the future of South Africa’s digital landscape could be shaped by a landmark public-private collaboration. A strategic partnership between a rejuvenated SENTECH and Starlink, potentially supported by Orbicom, represents a powerful convergence of national need, technological innovation, and regulatory compliance. It offers a clear pathway to bring high-speed satellite broadband to every corner of the country, transforming the lives of millions and truly bridging the digital divide.
Musk must be encouraged to come to the party.
Editorial Opinion: @LloydNedohe on X, email: info@esgfrontiers.co.za 2025
