Three months after securing its operation licence, Starlink has launched in Zimbabwe with IMC Communications as the sole distributor.
Per Starlink’s website, the costs of Starlink in the southern African country will be:
| Starlink Hardware | $350 |
| Starlink Service | $50 per month |
| Starlink Mini Hardware | $200 |
| Starlink Mini Service | $30 per month |
Compared to other jurisdictions SpaceX has launched in over the last few years, Starlink’s launch in Zimbabwe has been a long process.
In September 2023, SpaceX applied to Zimbabwean authorities to launch SpaceX services in the country. However, there were immediate roadblocks, with some legislators arguing to deny the application based on how Elon Musk’s other company, X (Twitter), was being used to disparage Zimbabwean leadership.
While approvals were still in process, some Zimbabweans opted to bring Starlink devices from other regions, including Zambia and Europe, to use the service illegally. This led to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe warning against the unlicensed use of Starlink services in the country.
Things then went quiet for several months until President Mnangagwa’s surprise announcement in May 2024 to approve the licence. The surprise announcement even caught Zimbabwean authorities off guard. However, things were cleared up a few days later, and Starlink was officially given the green light.
After Botswana went online last month, Zimbabwe has become the seventh African nation to go online with SpaceX satellite internet service.
