Starlink is (finally) coming to SA

Starlink may be finally getting a licence to operate in South Africa. 

On Tuesday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to meet Musk to break the deadlock that’s kept Starlink, the satellite internet service company now operating in 21 African countries, out of South Africa. (Fun little detail: we wrote this blurb at 6PM WAT.)

Starlink has been unable to enter South Africa due to a regulation requiring foreign telecom operators to be at least 30% owned by blacks or historically disadvantaged groups. Musk, the CEO of Starlink, has pushed back, calling the rule exclusionary—and so far, Starlink hasn’t even applied for an operating licence.

This standoff has been brewing for over a year. There were talks between Musk and Ramaphosa multiple times in 2024, but no results followed. However, there was a complete fallout between the two in February 2025. US President Donald Trump had accused Ramaphosa over South Africa's land reform policy, claiming it unfairly targets white South Africans.

Amid the fallout, Musk also posted on X that the country favoured blacks more than white, citing the Starlink delay. This added tension to the diplomatic relations between South Africa and the USA.

However, in what seems like a timely intervention, Ramaphosa will visit Trump in Washington to discuss foreign policies, which puts pressure on the South African president to fix the Starlink mess. 

Will it finally bend its black ownership rule for Starlink? South Africa is only trying to hold on to a policy that has worked for it for over two decades. Regardless of what's said in both meetings, it is likely that the country won't completely grant Musk and Starlink a free pass. 

South Africa could propose the “equity equivalent” model. Instead of handing over equity, Starlink would invest in social projects—like bringing free internet to rural schools or clinics. It’s not a new idea: in 2019, foreign car-makers like BMW and Toyota signed a similar deal to operate in the country.

Ramaphosa may be looking to cool tensions and boost internet access at the same time. Offering Starlink a tailored deal could ease diplomatic strains, expand rural connectivity, and avoid a public policy U-turn with Trump.

We will know the outcome of this meeting on Wednesday.

A Kenyan lawyer recently landed in hot water after submitting legal documents sprinkled with bogus case citations—likely whipped up by an overconfident AI tool. The fake references triggered alarm bells at the highest level. Justice Isaac Lenaola, a Supreme Court judge and chair of the Judiciary Committee on Innovation, issued a sharp warning: no more AI-generated nonsense in courtrooms.

Until proper guidelines are in place, Lenaola says lawyers should steer clear of AI for legal submissions, adding that it would be deeply embarrassing for judges to unknowingly base rulings on hallucinated cases.

Why it matters: AI is smart—but also dangerously good at making stuff up. The legal world, where accuracy is everything, can’t afford that. Kenya’s caution follows a similar case in South Africa: In January, law firm Surendra Singh and Associates was asked to pay a cost from their pockets and will possibly face investigation from the Legal Practice Council (LPC) for allegedly using Google and AI to source non-existent legal citations in court proceedings. Only 2 out of the 9 cited cases were found to exist.

While in Nigeria, lawyers argue that AI-related disputes will soon reach Nigerian courts as the technology becomes more integrated into everyday life.

Zoom out: As Kenya’s judiciary continues to explore the integration of technology, including digitising court records and holding virtual court sessions, the Supreme Court judge calls for regulatory clarity and a more cautious approach to using AI.

After years of trying to build its own supply chain—from farms to delivery trucks—Kenyan B2B e-commerce startup Twiga Foods is taking a different route: letting others handle the heavy lifting.

In April, Twiga acquired three local distributors—Jumra, Sojpar, and Raisons—marking the start of its pivot to an “asset-light” model. Instead of owning farms and fleets, Twiga will now focus on what it does best: software, procurement, and data. The new partners will run day-to-day logistics, while Twiga plugs in its tech systems to improve routing, warehouse management, and procurement.

Here’s why it matters: Twiga says this hybrid model—tech at the centre, local teams on the ground—will help it cut costs and scale faster, especially in Kenya’s fragmented and largely informal fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market. It also means Twiga can now serve both informal retailers and larger trade clients, without needing to invest in expensive infrastructure.

It’s a big shift for a company once celebrated for its end-to-end model. That strategy brought control, but also high fixed costs and cash flow strain. In 2023, Twiga shut down its farming unit and laid off staff across two rounds of job cuts in one year.

This new plan is backed by existing investors, not fresh funding—another sign that African startups are being pushed to prove profitability over growth.

Whether Twiga can coordinate across four separate firms and still deliver results remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: it’s no longer trying to build everything itself—and that alone could be a smarter way forward.

Nigeria left its interest rate unchanged yesterday as policymakers seek clarity on the inflation outlook. 

The monetary policy committee held the benchmark rate at 27.5%, citing relative improvements in some key macroeconomic indicators, including exchange rate stability and a gradual slowdown in fuel price increases, and decided that holding rates steady was the best course of action.

The decision to hold the interest rate was widely anticipated by analysts, who argued that further tightening could stifle business activity, while a premature cut might worsen inflationary pressures.

Since the start of 2024, the CBN has raised the interest rate in an aggressive attempt to rein in inflation and stabilise the naira. This latest decision suggests the central bank is pausing to evaluate the impact of those hikes rather than committing to further tightening.

Headline inflation stood at 23.71% in April, but the rate of food price increases has slowed, offering some relief to consumers. The naira has also gained ground recently, thanks to improved investor sentiment and higher foreign exchange inflows. Looking ahead, there is hope that inflationary pressures will ease further as global economic uncertainties, including those linked to the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s trade policies, begin to settle. 

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also called for the need for complementary fiscal actions by the government to help drive inflation lower.

With the next MPC meeting scheduled for July 21-22, investors will be watching for signals on whether the CBN maintains its hawkish stance or shifts toward easing if inflation shows signs of further moderation.