Breakthrough on Starlink could open up Musk’s financial muscle in SA – Theo Venter

South Africa was abuzz yesterday following reports of a meeting between South African-born billionaire Elon Musk and President Cyril Ramaphosa in New York. Footage released by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) captured the two engaged in discussions in Ramaphosa’s hotel room during his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly. According to the Presidency, the talks centred around investment opportunities in South Africa. Prof. Theo Venter, a political analyst from the University of Johannesburg, told Biznews that the dynamics of Ramaphosa’s visit to New York shifted after the Musk encounter. Instead of focusing primarily on the international court case involving Israel and Palestine and the transformation of the Security Council, the meeting with Musk took centre stage. Venter emphasised that if a breakthrough on Starlink for South Africa is achieved, it could open up “Musk’s financial muscle to be more prevalent in South Africa in the future.” Additionally, Venter pointed out that this engagement with Musk could be strategically beneficial for Ramaphosa, given Musk’s backing of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential elections.