Elon Musk, the South African-born billionaire and founder of SpaceX, is considering launching rockets and deploying Starlink satellites from South Africa.
The plan involves using the Denel Overberg rocket test site near Arniston, close to Cape Town.
This location is seen as ideal for launching satellites into polar orbits, which can improve Starlink’s ability to offer internet services to remote and underserved regions.
The Denel Overberg site has previously conducted suborbital rocket launches reaching up to 18 kilometers in altitude and aims to achieve orbital launches by 2028.
A partnership with SpaceX could speed up this development. The site is managed by the Aerospace Systems Research Institute at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
South Africa has faced regulatory delays that have held back Starlink’s operations despite the potential to help bridge the digital divide on the continent.
Musk’s interest in this site could mark an important step for Africa to become involved in the global space industry and support Musk’s goal of expanding global internet access.
Though details about the plan remain limited, sources familiar with the discussions say Musk is seriously looking at South Africa for future space missions.