Elon Musk Alleges He Was Asked to Pay Bribe to Secure Starlink Licence, South Africans Debate Claim

Published 13 Apr 2026 at 10:01 PM

by Byron Pillay

4 min read

Elon Musk has again claimed that he was denied a licence for Starlink in South Africa due to his race
The Tesla owner has now gone one step further and alleged that he was offered a way to get a licence illegally
South Africans took to social media to discuss Musk's latest claims, sharing mixed reactions to them

CHECK OUT: Turn unemployment into income. Your next job starts here.

Elon Musk alleged that he was asked to pay a bribe to bring Starlink to South Africa — Elon Musk alleged that he was asked to pay a bribe to secure a licence for Starlink in South Africa. Image: Chip Somodevilla/ Thomas Fuller
Source: Getty Images

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

Elon Musk is no stranger to controversial claims, and the Tesla owner has sparked a debate online with his latest one.

The Starlink boss took to X (formerly Twitter) to claim that he was not allowed to operate his satellite internet company in South Africa because he was not black.

While that is by no means a new claim, Musk went one step further and claimed that he was offered a chance to bring the company to the country if he took the bribe route, something he would not do.

What did Musk claim?

In another controversial social media post, Musk claimed that he was offered the chance to obtain a licence for Starlink through illegal means. The South African-born billionaire did not mention who made him the offer, but said it involved pretending as if Starlink had a black owner.

“We were offered many times the opportunity to bribe our way to a license by pretending that a Black guy runs Starlink SA, but I have refused to do so on principle.”

As per Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) regulations, foreign telecommunications licensees must allocate 30% equity to historically disadvantaged groups as part of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy.

Musk has refused to comply with these regulations, insisting that the only reason he was not given a licence was because of his skin colour.

South African Presidency responds to Trump’s claims

Musk’s latest claims were rejected by the South African President, with Vincent Magwenya taking to X himself to address them.

Social media users divided by Musk’s claims

While some criticised the South African-born billionaire, others said that, knowing what they knew about the country, they could believe him.

Moss Junior Maluleke said:

“He is already a billionaire. What does he see in South Africa that we are missing? Because his obsession with investing in South Africa is giving him sleepless nights.”

Shaun van der Merwe stated:

“After reading this, I have a concern. In his tweet, he also stated something about bribes they will accept to let him operate. Why didn't the spokesperson say anything about that?”

Sizwe Ndu Madlopha asked:

“Where is the evidence?”

Mike Watermeyer speculated:

“I don't rule out a misunderstanding. One would have to be pretty naive to attempt to bribe Musk. It's obvious what he would do with it. My guess is that an alternative, above-board proposal was made. Because not to get Starlink is shooting our economy in the foot. The man is being melodramatic. I am sure of it.”

What did Musk claim?

South African Presidency responds to Trump’s claims

Social media users divided by Musk’s claims

Other stories about Musk and South Africa