Starlink Expands in Africa With Lesotho, Guinea-Bissau Rollout

Key Takeaways

Starlink’s expansion into Lesotho and Guinea-Bissau underscores its growing role in Africa’s connectivity landscape, especially in landlocked and infrastructure-poor regions. However, the rollouts have not been without controversy. In Lesotho, local telecoms like Vodacom and civil society groups have raised concerns over foreign ownership, urging the government to mandate local equity participation. These concerns echo regulatory roadblocks in South Africa, where Starlink has yet to launch due to Black ownership compliance requirements. Despite this, Starlink's appeal lies in its ability to leapfrog traditional infrastructure, providing fast, affordable broadband to areas where fiber and mobile networks are unreliable. The arrival of Minikits in both markets is part of Starlink’s strategy to boost affordability and drive mass-market adoption. With recent regulatory wins in Somalia, Lesotho, and Guinea-Bissau, Starlink is solidifying its footprint across Africa. But balancing national policy objectives, digital sovereignty, and universal access will be key to its long-term success in the region.