Harare – The arrival of Starlink in Zimbabwe has been a whirlwind of intrigue, political maneuvering, and a hefty dose of controversy. While the promise of high-speed internet access has excited many, the story behind the deal has been anything but straightforward, with local businessman Wicknell Chivayo at the centre of the storm.
Closely watching the market and smelling easy money from across the Atlantic, local businessman Wicknell Chivayo had quickly taken a first-mover advantage and leveraged his proximity to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to get him to officially announce that Starlink would be coming to Zimbabwe on condition that his IMC Communications would be the exclusive partner providing hardware and services to locals in a money-spinning deal.
Predictably, Mnangagwa obliged and announced what Chivayo really wanted on Africa Day, 25 May, a week after the controversial tycoon had visited him at his Precabe Farm, Sherwood, Kwekwe. Chivayo’s visit to Mnangagwa’s farm came after run-ins with the President’s security which did not want the buccaneering tenderpreneur to meet him at his homes in Harare. Chivayo decided to go to the farm to circumvent security.
Without going through the Minister of ICT, the regulator Potraz or the tender system, Mnangagwa said: “I’m pleased to announce that I have approved the licensing of Starlink by POTRAZ to provide advanced internet and related digital processing services in Zimbabwe through its sole and exclusive local partner, IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd,” Mnangagwa declared.
“The entry by Starlink in the digital telecommunications space in Zimbabwe is expected to result in the deployment of high speed, low cost, LEO internet infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe and particularly in all the rural areas.”
Mnangagwa then went for gold: “I take this opportunity, on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe, to congratulate IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd and Starlink on this commendable milestone aimed at revolutionising the digital and communications technology landscape in Zimbabwe.”
Chivayo wasted no time in promoting IMC as the sole Starlink partner in Zimbabwe, advertising the service on his social media pages and announcing the appointment of former ZOL chief executive Denny Marandure as managing director.
In a statement, IMC said Marandure would oversee the implementation and aggressive rollout and adoption of Starlink internet service in the country.
“Mr Marandure brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, expertise and skills in the ICT industry and is well known for his role as ZOL chief executive officer (the Internet Service Provider of Liquid Intelligent Technologies), where he led the most successful roll out and adoption of Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) in Zimbabwe.”
All the while, IMC claimed it had exclusive rights to distribute Starlink hardware and services in Zimbabwe on the basis of Mnangagwa’s statement, not a business arrangement with Musk’s global company. Sources say Chivayo’s capture model was underpinned by his tenderpreneurial mentality and assumptions of leveraging political power for business or money.
A source said Chivayo wanted a deal with Starlink similar to what Malaysian satellite operator Measat has, in which it sells SpaceX subsidiary’s hardware and associated services in the local market exclusively. Chivayo, the source added, wanted to be Starlink’s only officially authorised reseller or distributor of the company’s hardware and services without competition, making IMC a one-stop supplier to Zimbabweans. In return, IMC would offer reliable political protection and crony capitalism networks.
“Chivayo moved fast to try to lock an agreement with Starlink to become the exclusive supplier of hardware and service provider, but Starlink wanted to know what IMC was bringing to the table. It turned out to be nothing beyond political support which Starlink is interested in because it has a popular product which sells on its own without political support. This is what Musk is trying to avoid in South Africa, his own original home country.”
Musk, the richest man in the world, is South African-born, although he is American.
While Chivayo is licking his wounds after the deal failed, Zimbabweans are moving to subscribe to Starlink through other means, eager to get connected. Starlink is now available in the country; a standard kit costs US$350 plus a monthly US$50 connection fee for unlimited internet. A mini kit goes for US$200 with a US$30 monthly charge.
The decision to bypass Chivayo and offer direct sales to customers has been met with widespread speculation and whispers of political maneuvering. Chivayo, a known benefactor of ZANU PF and a figure embroiled in several corruption scandals, had been poised to profit handsomely from the Starlink deal.
Reports suggested that Zimbabweans were initially expected to pay US$650 for the Starlink kit, double its retail price, under Chivayo’s control. This sparked public outcry, with many fearing that Chivhayo would exploit the situation for personal gain, much like his alleged dealings with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) where he received over US$100 million for election materials.
Chivhayo’s recent spending spree, buying luxury cars for ZANU PF supporters and singers, further fuelled public anger and raised concerns about his integrity.
Sources close to the matter have revealed that Mnangagwa and licensing authorities ultimately decided to sideline Chivayo due to the scandals that had tarnished his image and cast a shadow on the President’s office.
The launch hasn’t been without its share of intrigue. Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono revealed on X that a meeting took place in Harare this week involving representatives from Starlink, DHL, the Secret Service, the defence ministry, and ZIMRA, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
Chin’ono, citing sources within Starlink, alleged that authorities proposed a 40% stake in the company’s local operations for Wicknell Chivayo’s IMC, with the controversial Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF) receiving 10%. This proposal was reportedly rejected by Starlink, who stated that the other parties were offering little beyond political influence.
The Mutapa Investment Fund, a state-owned investment fund, oversees 20 parastatal entities, including major companies like NetOne, Air Zimbabwe, and the National Railways of Zimbabwe.
Chin’ono also revealed that Starlink was initially set to dispatch 1,500 test kits from America to Harare this week, but this was delayed until POTRAZ, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, signed off on the shipment.
“My Starlink source told me this morning that they rejected the deal because the other parties were not bringing anything to the table except political capital. The Starlink Africa and Middle East contact informed me that they will be shipping the first 1,500 test kits this coming week via DHL, and they should arrive in Harare within the week for pre-go-live regulatory local compliance activities by POTRAZ,” said Chin’ono.
The investigative journalist also shared that Starlink will be using the Destination Duties Paid (DDP) arrangement for importing units via DHL. This means SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, will pay customs duties upfront, ensuring a seamless experience for customers.
