Cyril Rampahosa Engages With Elon Musk, Encourages Twitter Owner to Invest in South Africa
- Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that he is in discussions with Elon Musk to invest in South Africa
- The SpaceX and Tesla owner was born in the country and is currently the world's richest man
- Citizens called on Ramaphosa before to approach Musk and ask him to bring Starlink to the country
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has spent a decade reporting on the South African political landscape, crime and social issues.
Cyril Ramaphosa is eager to get Elon Musk to invest in South Africa.
The State President revealed that he was speaking to the billionaire to invest in the land of his birth.
Source: Getty Images
The SpaceX and Tesla owner was born in the country, but now lives in the United States of America.
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He is currently the world’s richest man, but despite his global business footprint, Musk has yet to tap into the South African market.
Ramaphosa to engage with Musk
During a conversation with members of the media on 13 August 2024, the president admitted that he was speaking to the billionaire.
"Elon, you've become so successful and you are investing in a variety of countries. I want you to come home and invest here," Ramaphosa said when detailing their conversation.
He added that they would be having further discussions.
Tesla not coming to South Africa
Despite his status as a successful businessman, Musk has not yet seen the country of his birth as a viable market.
His electric vehicle company, Tesla, was due to launch in South Africa eight years ago, but this has not happened yet.
In January 2024, Musk admitted that import duties made it difficult.
“Import duties are super high in South Africa to protect the domestic industry. Doesn’t make sense for Tesla, given that electric cars are not locally made,” he said.
South Africans also recently called on Ramaphosa to speak to Musk about bringing Starlink to the country.
Starlink is Musk’s satellite-based internet service.
Ramaphosa encourages China to invest
Elon Musk isn’t the only major player that Ramaphosa hopes to attract to invest in the country.
During a recent state visit to China, he urged businesses to consider South Africa, Briefly News reported.
Ramaphosa’s primary focus was to get businesses to invest in green energy companies in SA.
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Source: Briefly News
