SpaceX’s satellite Internet service, Starlink, has implemented a stringent travel registration requirement that has completely locked South Africans out of using its international roaming service in the country.

While the low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband service was not officially supported locally, Starlink’s international roaming service had been available in the country since early 2023.

Initially, South Africans who imported Starlink kits registered at addresses in overseas markets where the service was available could use Starlink Roaming without restrictions.

Although the price was significantly higher than what they would pay for a residential plan in a supported country, many desperate for reliable connectivity in remote areas were willing to pay the fee.

In mid-2024, Starlink began implementing a 60-day continuous use limit. Although this was always part of its roaming policy, it had not been enforced up to that point.

The continuous use period was subsequently reduced to 30 days in South Africa. For some users, it was later dropped to a 7-day allowance.

On Friday, 23 October 2026, a few users still accessing the service in South Africa reported they received a notification that their service was restricted.

“You’re using your Starlink outside your account country. Complete travel registration to restore service,” it stated.

According to Starlink’s FAQ page, registration is required under its Terms of Service to verify a customer’s identity and ensure global service availability for travelling Starlink customers.

“Travel Registration is required for Starlink use outside your home country for all account types, except Enterprise,” the page explained.

“If you plan to travel to destinations listed under ‘Add Travel Plans,’ you may also need to submit destination-specific information.”

Unless a South African used fraudulent information, Starlink would be able to see that a local intends to use the roaming service within South Africa.

This would go against Starlink’s terms of service, which specifically state that roaming is intended for temporary use by international travellers outside of their home country.

Starlink closes loophole allowing South Africans to use it

Starlink kit in the Kalahari
The new registration mechanism enables Starlink to distinguish between South Africans seeking local access and travellers visiting the country who bring their antenna kits along for Internet access.

It seems unlikely that Starlink would grant South African users roaming access if they provided their correct personal information and their destinations were within their home country.

The company could use the information to identify individuals who had violated its terms of service and block their accounts.

It is important to highlight that the restriction is not the same as in countries where Starlink has completely suspended roaming due to legal demands from authorities.

Unless a country is sanctioned by the U.S., or its government is otherwise in conflict with a particular jurisdiction, Starlink has typically made roaming available by default.

It is mainly in countries where it has faced legal demands from authorities, such as Namibia, where Starlink blocked its service completely.

In South Africa, the roaming service will presumably remain available to international travellers who want to use it as intended: for connectivity during their travels.

To date, there has been no formal notice that the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has issued a cease-and-desist or other legal demand to Starlink to block its service locally.

Our recent analysis showed that the roaming service was still widely used in South Africa, with the highest number of monthly MyBroadband Speed Tests recorded yet — 2,232 — in August 2026.

Source: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/673933-starlink-begins-to-cut-south-africans-off.html