If reports are true and all negotiations go well, Starlink could launch in South Africa from "the middle of 2025."

THE South African government appears to be bending over backwards to improve relations with the United States, including potential changes to Black ownership requirements that could allow Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service to operate in the country.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will hold crucial talks at the White House with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in a high-stakes meeting that could improve or deteriorate already frosty relations between the nations.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer told MSNBC Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “not on the ground” and that the area did “not have confirmed assistance” from FEMA, forcing local organizations such as the St. Louis Community Foundation to turn to crowdfunding to rebuild their community.

In February, Trump ordered that US financial aid be cut to South Africa for the country’s “unjust racial discrimination”. In his order, Trump cited the alleged confiscation of white-owned land, as well as South Africa’s filing of a genocide case against Israel over its war on Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023.

Ahead of the high-stakes meeting with US president Donald Trump, president Cyril Ramaphosa says his delegation will do what is best for SA on Starlink licensing.

In rural areas, where traditional broadband infrastructure is scarce, Starlink’s presence may be key to bridging the divide.

Musk appears to be referring to South Africa's BEE policies, which require foreign companies to grant at least 30% of local ownership to historically disadvantaged groups, primarily Black South Africans.