Draft:Elon Musk and South Africa

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Elon Musk has made his birth country south Africa a recurring subject of his public commentary. He has voiced strong opinions about what he characterizes as systemic discrimination against white people in the country.

This article documents Elon Musk's public commentary on South Africa, including claims of white genocide , the country's BEE laws and the licensing dispute surrounding his satellite internet company Starlink .

Evolution of opinions

In July 2023, EFF leader Julius Malema sang the anti-apartheid struggle song "Kill the Boer" at the party's 10th-anniversary rally. Musk responded on X by addressing President Cyril Ramaphosa directly, asking why he says nothing about what Musk described as an open push for the genocide of white people in South Africa. Malema responded to Musk's comment with an expletive, and told a press conference that Musk did not need to be educated on the matter, describing him as looking illiterate and saying the only thing protecting him was his white skin.

In February 2025, following a series of posts by Musk addressing Ramaphosa directly, Musk called for immediate sanctions against Malema and for him to be declared an international criminal, citing Malema's chanting of "Kill the Boer" and remarks Musk characterized as calling for genocide of white people.

Also in early February 2025, after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law and US President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to South Africa over the policy, Musk quoted a post from Ramaphosa defending the Act and asked why the government has openly racist ownership laws. Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, responded that owing to the legacy of colonialism and apartheid, the constitution provides for redressing the ills of the past. Ramaphosa also spoke with Musk directly by phone. The Presidency said the conversation addressed misinformation and distortions about South Africa, and that Ramaphosa reiterated the country's constitutional commitment to the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality. Separately, when a reply under Musk's post argued that white South Africans should be encouraged to emigrate to Europe, Musk endorsed the sentiment with a one-word reply "yes".

In March 2025, after South Africa's highest court rejected a bid to outlaw the "Kill the Boer" song and the EFF released a new video of Malema singing it at a rally, Musk posted that few people know a major political party in South Africa is actively promoting white genocide, referring to the footage as a whole arena chanting about killing white people. In the same post, Musk also referenced the Expropriation Act, asking where the outrage and media coverage were, and linked the matter to Starlink, saying he could not get a licence to operate the service in South Africa simply because he is not Black. President Ramaphosa responded publicly that the claim of persecution of white people in the country is a completely false narrative.

In April 2026, Musk escalated his rhetoric further, describing South Africa's politicians as pushing "viciously racist" laws and stating that those responsible for the laws should be sanctioned, barred from travel, declared criminals, and have their international assets seized.

In December 2025, citing figures from the Institute of Race Relations, Musk claimed South Africa now has more laws discriminating against white people than apartheid had laws discriminating against Black people, and said this was deeply wrong, arguing that the goal should be no race-based laws at all. He separately claimed the country had passed 142 laws forcing discrimination against anyone who is not Black, tying this again to Starlink's inability to obtain a licence, and describing the situation as a shameful disgrace to the legacy of Nelson Mandela. The Presidency responded through spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, who said only an unhinged, unrepentant racist would fail to understand how offensive such words are to people who still bear the scars of apartheid.

Musk also described South Africa's governance during this period using the phrase "Apartheid 2.0."

Starlink and the BEE licensing dispute

On 7 March 2025, Elon Musk wrote on X that Starlink was not allowed to operate in South Africa because he is not Black. He repeated the claim on 20 May 2025 during a remote interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, saying that there are 140 laws in South Africa that give a strong preference to Black South Africans, and that although he was born in South Africa, he could not get a licence to operate Starlink because he is not Black.

Under South Africa's Electronic Communications Act, part of the country's Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment framework, telecommunications licence applicants must be at least 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups. South Africa's Independent Communications Authority (ICASA) told the BBC in March 2025 that Starlink was not banned from the country. South Africa's foreign ministry said Starlink was welcome to operate in the country provided it complied with local laws. Snopes reported that a representative of ICASA said by email that Starlink had not applied for a licence with ICASA.

In response to Musk's March 2025 post, Clayson Monyela, a senior official at South Africa's foreign affairs department, wrote on X that it was not true that the licensing issue had anything to do with Musk's skin colour, and that Starlink was welcome to operate in South Africa provided there was compliance with local laws, describing this as a global international trade and investment principle. Monyela added that there are over 600 US companies investing and operating in South Africa, all complying with local laws and thriving.

In February 2025, Semafor reported that the South African government was considering giving Musk's ventures, including Starlink, an exception to the ownership rule. In May 2025, Bloomberg reported that the government was proposing a regulatory workaround, an "equity equivalent" mechanism, that would let Starlink and other satellite companies meet empowerment requirements through investment in alternatives such as infrastructure or small and medium-sized Black-owned businesses, rather than through direct equity ownership.

African National Congress lawmaker Khusela Diko, chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, accused Communications Minister Solly Malatsi of seeking to weaken South Africa’s empowerment and local-ownership requirements in a way that could benefit foreign companies, including Elon Musk’s Starlink. Diko said the proposed directives and regulations appeared to undermine empowerment legislation “by stealth” and warned that any attempt to circumvent existing legal requirements would face strong opposition. She cited mobile operator MTN and satellite provider Lynk’s trial of a satellite voice call using a smartphone as an example of a partnership achieved while complying with existing South African laws.

On 27 May 2025, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi appeared before Parliament's portfolio committee on communications to defend the proposed policy. Malatsi said the department was not attempting to open a new dispensation for Starlink or any other company or individual, and that the regulations in the sector must consistently make provision for the two choices that exist in any other sector. prior Malatsi said the policy direction was part of an initiative to significantly expand access to broadband connectivity to poor South Africans and people living in remote parts of the country. Malatsi, who belongs to the Democratic Alliance, denied that the proposal was designed with Starlink in mind and denied that it was prompted by President Cyril Ramaphosa's delegation's visit to the White House to meet President Donald Trump the preceding week. On 10 June 2025, Malatsi told the Cape Town Press Club that people should not obsess over Starlink, that the new regulations involve other companies besides Starlink, and that the directive was not a scheme to give Starlink a backdoor into South Africa or circumvent the country's transformation laws.

In August 2025, SpaceX submitted a written response to ICASA's proposed policy direction on B-BBEE alignment in the ICT sector. Ryan Goodnight, Senior Director of Starlink Market Access, said in the submission that SpaceX commends the reforms. SpaceX said it does not seek amendments to the South African registration requirement or the B-BBEE contributor status requirement, but that ICASA's application of the 30% ownership requirement had been implemented in an "extremely conservative and restrictive" manner. SpaceX said Section 9(2)(b) of the Electronic Communications Act provides that ICASA must include equity ownership requirements, or such other conditions or higher percentage as may be prescribed under Section 4(3)(k) of the ICASA Act, and that the plain meaning of this section is that ICASA has an election as to whether to impose the ownership requirement or such other conditions.

In December 2025, Malatsi issued a directive instructing ICASA to recognise Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes as an alternative to direct equity ownership sales.

On 11 January 2026, Songezo Zibi, leader of the Rise Mzansi party and chairperson of Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts, posted a video on X saying South Africa would be "stupid" to allow Starlink to operate in the country. Zibi said Elon Musk has declared himself, through his actions, an enemy of South Africa's constitutional order, and an enemy of social justice and redress for racial inequality. Zibi said Musk uses misinformation and disinformation to spread damaging lies about South Africa in the United States, including what Zibi described as the lie of white genocide, which Zibi said Musk has actively promoted for years. Zibi said South Africa must have principles and standards and must draw the line at its constitutional order. Zibi also said it would be dangerous to allow Musk to own a technological ecosystem in South Africa, and that he did not know what Minister Solly Malatsi was thinking.

On 12 February 2026, Democratic Alliance MP and spokesperson Karabo Khakhau renewed the party's call for B-BBEE exceptions for Starlink ahead of the State of the Nation Address. Khakhau said, in response to a parliamentary question in November 2025, that the approach was not about bypassing transformation, and that Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes still require multinational companies to invest the full equivalent value of 30 percent Black ownership into approved programmes that grow Black-owned businesses, develop digital skills, and strengthen local industries. Khakhau described these as substantial, targeted investments rather than shortcuts.

On 12 April 2026, Musk posted on X that South Africa would not allow Starlink to be licensed, even though he was born there, simply because he is not Black. Musk said Starlink had been offered many times the opportunity to bribe its way to a licence by pretending that a Black person runs Starlink SA, and that he had refused to do so on principle. Musk said racism should not be rewarded no matter to which race it is applied, and called the politicians upholding the laws racist, saying they should be shown no respect and shunned.

Clayson Monyela responded on X, writing that he was watching the more than 600 US companies investing in South Africa, complying with South African laws, and thriving, with zero drama. Musk replied directly to Monyela, telling him to stop being "a fucking racist" and calling him "an asshole."

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya responded by telling Musk it was okay to move on, noting there are currently 193 member states in the United Nations and that there is good money to be made in the other 192 markets.

Democratic Alliance federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis described Musk as "outspoken, aggressive and quite anti-South Africa," while also publicly supporting Musk's bid to bring Starlink into South Africa through an equity equivalent arrangement, a mechanism he said is already used by multinationals including Amazon and Ford.

As of April 2026, ICASA had not completed the regulatory updates required to formally recognise equity equivalent investment programmes for the telecommunications sector, leaving Starlink's formal market entry pending.

White genocide claims

Elon Musk has repeatedly described violence against white farmers in South Africa as a genocide. A Western Cape High Court ruling in a related case found that claims of a genocide targeting white South Africans are imaginary and have historically been used to promote white nationalism in the country. Judge Rosheni Allie invalidated a bequest of more than one million pounds left to a paramilitary group by a testator who wanted the funds used to defend against what he called a genocide of white South Africans. The court ruled that the group’s activities glorified apartheid and promoted racial hatred.

Musk shared an aerial video on X showing a helicopter shot of a rural road lined with white crosses, captioned simply: “So many crosses.” The post he was replying to described the crosses as representing white farmers killed in violent attacks and compared the scene to a genocide.

The same footage was shown by US President Donald Trump during an Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Trump described the crosses as burial sites containing the remains of over a thousand murdered white farmers.

The White Crosses

CBS's 60 Minutes, in a report by correspondent Anderson Cooper, traveled to South Africa to trace the footage's origin. Cooper located and interviewed Darrel Brown, the seventh-generation farmer who had erected the crosses, who said plainly: "It definitely wasn't a burial site. I mean those crosses were there for less than 48 hours. It was purely an avenue of crosses we planted there in honor of commercial farmers in South Africa that had lost their lives." Brown said he first put up the crosses on the day of the funeral for his friends Glen and Vida Rafferty, a farming couple murdered during a 2020 robbery on their property, and that he re-erected the display in 2024 for the funeral of another friend, farmer Tollie Nel, who was also murdered on his farm. Brown told Cooper he keeps the crosses in a shed between uses. When Cooper visited the actual roadside location, no crosses remained, only a potholed rural road.

Cooper also interviewed Tollie Nel's widow, Rene Nel, and asked her directly whether she would describe what is happening to farmers in South Africa as a "genocide." She replied: "Not what I know as a genocide. Not what I've heard of what a genocide is. I see our attack as an opportunistic attack. They knew there was money. They knew there were firearms." The report also said , via police statistics cited in the segment, that South Africa recorded more than 25,000 murders in 2024, the large majority of victims Black, and quoted the head of the country's largest agricultural organization stating that farm violence stems from criminality rather than racially targeted genocide. Afrikaner farmer Johann Kotzé, also interviewed for the segment, said that when he met with Trump administration officials in Washington to discuss the matter, "they asked us about the white genocide, and the first thing I said is, 'I'm as Afrikaans as what you can get. I grew up Afrikaans. And I never witnessed that.'"

South Africa's Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, said the Raffertys' killers had been identified, prosecuted, and given life sentences, and stated that the crosses "symbolized killings on farms over years, they are not graves." A local representative for the area shown in the footage, Newcastle ward councillor Bebsie Cronje, said she felt "sad" about how the video had been used, while South Africa's police minister Senzo Mchunu cited police figures showing only six farm murders nationally in the first three months of 2025, one of them a white victim, against 5,727 total murders in the same period.