The juicy secrets that only the ultra-wealthy and power-hungry know: a behind-closed-doors meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.
While Ramaphosa was busy jet-setting around New York for the 79th Session of the United Nations General Debate and High-Level Week, he found time to wine and dine with Musk, the tech mogul known for his SpaceX and Tesla ventures. But what really caught our attention was Ramaphosa’s “positive” spin on their private chat.
It’s clear that Ramaphosa and Musk are playing a game of cat and mouse. Ramaphosa is eager to attract foreign direct investment to South Africa, and Musk is waiting for regulatory approval to launch his Starlink satellite internet service in the country. But is this meeting just a veiled attempt to strong-arm Ramaphosa into making concessions for Musk’s entry into the South African market?
Meanwhile, South Africans are left in the dark, waiting for the arrival of Starlink in their country. It’s been years since Musk announced his plans to bring satellite internet to South Africa, and yet, the country is still stuck in the digital dark ages. The excuse of “regulatory hurdles” has become a tired cliche, and many are left wondering if this is just a clever marketing ploy to keep investors on the hook.
Musk’s X Corp may be busy making waves with its Twitter acquisition, but in South Africa, he’s got a bigger game to play. And President Ramaphosa seems more than happy to be part of it, even if it means bending the rules for the benefit of one of the world’s richest men.
Stay tuned, folks. This is only the beginning of a battle royale between the South African government and the powers that be.
