Tanzania has opened discussions with representatives of SpaceX and its Starlink satellite internet business over potential investment in the country’s communications and technology sectors, marking a notable development in a relationship that has previously been shaped by regulatory delays and disagreements over digital services.
Tanzania’s Prime Minister Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba held talks with representatives of SpaceX and Starlink on October 7, 2026, at the Hyatt Hotel in London, where he is leading a Tanzanian delegation during the country’s investment engagements in the United Kingdom.
The meeting focused on investment opportunities for the two companies in Tanzania’s communications and technology sectors. Nchemba was accompanied by Minister for Communications and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki, Minister of Finance Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar and Minister of Planning and Investment Kitila Mkumbo.
The discussions come as Tanzania seeks to attract international investment into technology and communications while Starlink’s planned entry into the country’s satellite internet market remains subject to regulatory approval.
The relationship between Tanzania and SpaceX has not always moved smoothly. In February 2023, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) said Starlink needed to fulfil outstanding requirements before it could receive approval to operate in the country. At the time, the regulator said Starlink, like other communications companies, was required to follow Tanzania’s licensing procedures.
Starlink subsequently moved further into the regulatory process. In November 2024, TCRA published a public notice confirming that Starlink Satellite Tanzania Limited had applied for a National Network Facilities licence and a National Application Services licence under Tanzania’s converged licensing framework. The regulator invited public comments on the application as part of the statutory process.
The application represented a significant step after months of discussions between the company and Tanzanian authorities. Issues reported around Starlink’s proposed entry included spectrum rights, data protection and compliance with Tanzania’s regulatory requirements.
However, Starlink had still not received an operational licence in Tanzania by 2026. A June 2026 report by Space in Africa said the company’s November 2024 application remained under review, while Tanzania continued developing its regulatory framework for satellite connectivity.
That history makes the London meeting significant. What had previously been largely a conversation about whether Starlink could satisfy Tanzania’s regulatory requirements is now being accompanied by discussions about possible investment by SpaceX and Starlink in the country’s technology and communications landscape.
Starlink has meanwhile continued expanding across Africa. In September 2026, The Guardian reported that Tanzania was among 16 additional African markets listed by Starlink for a potential 2026 launch, although the company cautions that availability depends on government approvals and network expansion.
A successful entry into Tanzania could potentially give Starlink another route for providing internet connectivity in areas where conventional telecommunications infrastructure remains limited. Satellite broadband is particularly relevant to remote communities where laying terrestrial fibre or expanding conventional networks can be more difficult.
But the company’s relationship with Tanzania also intersects with another Elon Musk-owned platform: X, formerly Twitter.
In May 2025, Tanzania blocked access to X after authorities said government accounts had been compromised in cyberattacks. The incident included the hacking of the police account, which was used to publish pornographic material and falsely announce the death of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Airtel Tanzania also reported that its account had been compromised.
The X restriction occurred amid heightened political tensions in Tanzania ahead of the 2025 general election, although the government presented the action in the context of the cyberattacks and the security of the country’s cyberspace. AP reported that X remained inaccessible to users in Tanzania who were not using a VPN at the time.
The episode added another layer to Tanzania’s relationship with companies associated with Musk, particularly as the country was simultaneously dealing with Starlink’s application to enter its telecommunications market.
The two matters are separate from a regulatory standpoint: Starlink is a satellite communications service requiring authorisation to operate in Tanzania, while X is a social media platform. Nevertheless, both sit within the broader digital environment in which the Tanzanian government has increasingly placed emphasis on cybersecurity, data governance and control over digital services.
The latest discussions therefore come at a different stage of that relationship. Rather than focusing only on Starlink’s licence application, Tanzania is now discussing how SpaceX and Starlink could potentially participate in the country’s investment and technology ambitions.
The meeting took place as Nchemba led a government delegation to London for the Tanzania Investment Forum, which is bringing together Tanzanian officials, international investors and business leaders. The forum is focused on attracting investment across several priority sectors, including technology and telecommunications alongside mining, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing and agribusiness.
For Starlink, Tanzania would represent a sizeable potential market in East Africa. For Tanzania, an investment relationship with SpaceX could extend beyond satellite internet and contribute to the government’s broader efforts to expand digital connectivity and technology infrastructure.
The London discussions do not, however, amount to confirmation that Starlink has been granted an operating licence or that SpaceX has committed to a specific investment project in Tanzania. The company’s regulatory status remains an important part of any eventual expansion.
