Musk Calls South Africa’s Business Laws ‘Racist’—Here’s What Happened

Elon Musk is not happy with South Africa. The billionaire recently blasted the country’s 30% Black ownership requirement for businesses, calling it “openly racist” and the reason his Starlink satellite service can’t operate there.

South African officials, on the other hand, are not here for Musk’s Twitter tirades. They argue that the country’s equity laws exist to correct centuries of economic exclusion under apartheid—a system Musk himself grew up benefiting from.

Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet project, has been expanding globally, offering high-speed internet to remote areas. But South African law requires foreign companies to meet local ownership requirements, and Musk apparently isn’t interested in playing by those rules.

Some critics say Musk’s frustration is more about control than equity. After all, he could partner with local investors and keep Starlink moving. Instead, he’s choosing the “rage tweet” approach, which has worked so well for him in the past.

So is this about principle or just Musk being allergic to regulation? Either way, Starlink customers in South Africa might not be getting service anytime soon. And knowing Musk, this won’t be the last time he tries to rewrite the rules of a country he doesn’t live in.