Zimbabwe’s Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) has approved Starlink’s licensing in the country.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced this development in a post on X at the weekend.
“The entry by Starlink in the digital telecommunications space in Zimbabwe is expected to result in the deployment of high speed, low cost, LEO internet infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe and particularly in all the rural areas,” said Mnangagwa.
“The investment confidence expressed by Starlink in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications infrastructure also dovetails with the 2nd Republic’s mantra, ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’.”
“I encourage more investment by foreign conglomerates in Zimbabwe as we are an investment destination of choice.”
Mnangagwa said Starlink services will be delivered through IMC Communications (Pty) Ltd, a single and exclusive local partner.
“Investments of this magnitude and strategic importance represent the cornerstone for achieving the 2nd Republic’s objective of having a fully digitalised, upper-middle income economy by 2030.”
The government had originally taken a hardline stance on the service, conducting raids where law enforcement officials confiscated Starlink equipment and arrested people distributing, advertising, or using Starlink equipment.
In response, Zimbabweans camouflaged their Starlink dishes as solar panels and hid them in the back of street pole lights.
“We crack it open and modify it so that it runs on 12 volt DC. The unit is then able to fit inside either a solar panel or a streetlight,” said one such user.
“Converting it in this way also enables us to do away with the cable and the Starlink router.”
A POTRAZ spokesperson told H-Metro that until the service was licensed, individuals needed to “wait for permission” so as not to interfere with other services.