Starlink’s push into Africa has picked up serious momentum over the past year. The satellite internet service, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has steadily expanded across the continent as it tries to close connectivity gaps in regions where traditional broadband infrastructure is either slow to build or simply nonexistent. Between 2024 and 2025 alone, the company nearly doubled its African footprint, growing from operations in 14 countries to about 25

That expansion has continued, with its arrival in the Central African Republic.

The announcement, shared by Elon Musk on X, marks another step in the company’s strategy to bring satellite-powered internet to underserved parts of the world. For the Central African Republic, where internet penetration has historically been among the lowest globally, the arrival of Starlink could be significant.

The country has a population of roughly 5.6 million people, with more than 4.8 million still lacking reliable access to the internet. That's roughly 88%. This is largely due to limited telecom infrastructure and the high cost of expanding fibre or mobile networks in remote regions.

That’s where satellite internet services like Starlink come in. Instead of relying on ground-based infrastructure, the system connects users directly to a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites, allowing internet access in areas where traditional providers have struggled to operate.

In countries like the Central African Republic, where geography, infrastructure gaps, and economic constraints make broadband expansion difficult, the model offers a faster way to bring connectivity online.

In many of the countries Starlink has rolled out to already, the company has quickly gained traction among businesses, remote workers, and households in rural communities that previously had few reliable internet options. While the hardware and subscription costs can still be relatively high for average consumers, the ability to access stable high-speed internet has made the service appealing in regions with limited connectivity.

Still, the company’s African expansion hasn’t been entirely smooth. One of the continent’s biggest markets, South Africa, remains out of reach due to regulatory hurdles tied to local ownership requirements for telecom providers. Those rules have effectively blocked Starlink from launching in the country so far, despite strong demand from potential users.

South Africa’s government is seizing Starlink kits due to unauthorized operations
While Starlink is beaming high-speed internet from space, African regulators are busy pulling it back down to earth with local regulations.
TechloyOyinebiladou Omemu