Starlink has been launched in Botswana, with the country becoming the third country not so far from South Africa to get the SpaceX-owned satellite internet service.
The service is now available in Madagascar, Zambia, Malawi and the islands of Mayotte and Reunion which are regions in the broader Southern African region.
According to an official map showing Starlink’s global launch plan, South Africa is now one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t have an estimated in-service date. “Service date is unknown at this time.”
Zimbabwe and Lesotho could be next to go live, with an in-service date on the company’s website of the third quarter of 2024 (July to September). The Starlink may be targeting a September 1st launch date in Zimbabwe. Namibia is expected to go live by the end of the year.
Other countries in the region with published forecast go-live dates include Mauritius (sometime in 2025), Angola (fourth quarter of 2024), Tanzania (also Q4 2024), the Democratic Republic of Congo (2025), Comoros (2025) and the Seychelles (2025).
The launch in Botswana follows a decision in May by that country’s telecommunications regulator to grant Starlink a licence to operate.
Bloomberg News reported at the time that Botswana fast-tracked approval of the license. The decision to grant the permit was taken after President Mokgweetsi Masisi met Starlink executives in Texas earlier in the year.
