Botswana is now the latest Southern African nation to license Starlink, following Zimbabwe, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently authorised the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) approval of Starlink’s satellite broadband services in the country.
Following a meeting between the SpaceX team and President Mokgweetsi Masisi at the Africa-US Business Forum in Dallas, Texas, the decision was made to grant Starlink an operating license.
This approval came three months after the Botswana Communications and Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) initially rejected Starlink’s application due to missing information, leading to a subsequent ban on Starlink products.
Despite having one of the highest data prices in Africa, Botswana aims to bridge the connectivity gap for its 2.63 million residents by licensing Starlink.