Elon Musk’s Starlink has rapidly expanded its presence in Africa, now operating in 15 countries as of January 2025.
Starlink provides high-speed satellite internet to remote and underserved locations, enabling connectivity in areas where traditional internet infrastructure is unreliable, expensive, or nonexistent by using a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites.
This visualization, via Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu, shows Starlink prices vs. the leading internet service provider’s price in 12 African countries, as of January 2025.
Data comes from Starlink, and various ISP website via Rest of World. The Starlink prices do not include the upfront cost of the Starlink hardware.
Is Starlink Cheaper Than Internet Providers in Africa?
Starlink is becoming increasingly affordable in Africa, with monthly plans in countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe significantly cheaper than traditional internet service providers, often at less than half the cost.
In at least five African countries specifically–Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Cape Verde–Starlink is now cheaper than the leading fixed internet service provider.
This affordability is disrupting the market, forcing traditional ISPs like Safaricom in Kenya to lower prices and increase internet speeds to remain competitive.
Despite its high-speed offerings, Starlink faces criticism from local telecommunications companies for not investing in local jobs or infrastructure.
In South Africa, negotiations are ongoing, with the government requiring Starlink to allocate at least 30% equity to local ownership by marginalized groups as a condition for licensing.
To learn more about internet infrastructure in Africa, check out this graphic that visualizes the cost of 1GB of data in various African countries.
