South Africa’s government is proposing to ease its telecoms black ownership laws, allowing companies to meet empowerment requirements through alternative means like investing in local suppliers or funding black-owned businesses.

This draft law comes shortly after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met US President Donald Trump, amid tensions but with agreements to strengthen bilateral trade and technological collaboration.

Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has opposed the 30 percent equity ownership rule, could particularly benefit from this change to enter the South African market more easily.

The draft policy is open for public comment for 30 days and aims to attract investment into the ICT sector while maintaining empowerment goals.