Starlink Watch
Countries / Africa

Starlink in Lesotho

6 publicly reported Starlink problems in Lesotho since 2022: outages, prices, disputes and court cases, each linked to its source.

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Elon Musk and Lesotho

2 entries in the Musk tracker

Documented statements and actions by Elon Musk and his companies concerning Lesotho's politics, government, courts or regulators, with the official response.

Power and conflicts

Cables show State Department pushed countries facing US tariffs to approve Starlink, Washington Post reports

The Washington Post reported that State Department cables showed US embassies pressing countries to clear regulatory hurdles for satellite companies, often mentioning Starlink by name, and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio increasingly instructed official…

Response: The State Department said Every patriotic American should want to see American companies succeed on the world stage, referring to weaker Chinese competitors (Washington Post).

2 sources
Power and conflicts

Lesotho grants Starlink a 10-year licence weeks after a 50% US tariff announcement

The Lesotho Communications Authority granted Starlink Lesotho a 10-year licence, calling it a significant step forward in the country's digital transformation (Business Day). Bloomberg reported the move came as Lesotho sought to improve ties with the US.

Response: Civil society group Section 2 said the regulator disregarded local objections that Starlink Lesotho was 100% foreign-owned (Business Day).

3 sources

Courts and regulators

DateMatterTypeStatus
6 Nov 2025Lesotho grants operating licence to Musk's StarlinkRegulatorReported
14 Apr 2025SpaceX-operated Starlink Secures 10-Year Lesotho LicenceRegulatorReported
13 Apr 2025Lesotho grants Starlink 10-year licence amid claims of US tariff pressure
Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA)
RegulatorDecided
10 Apr 2025Lesotho under pressure to approve Starlink licenceRegulatorReported
11 Mar 2025Rights group objects to Starlink Lesotho licence over lack of local ownership
Lesotho Communications Authority
RegulatorReported

All reports for Lesotho