Elon Musk meets Southern African leaders in New York on sidelines of UN General Assembly

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – In New York, US business mogul Elon Musk on Tuesday met separately with the leaders of South Africa and Lesotho to discuss local business opportunities.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, President Cyril Ramaphosa held talks with South African-born Musk to explore opportunities to invest in the country, Ramaphosa’s office said on X.

The statement gave no further details from the closed-door meeting.

Local media said the meeting came as Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet venture, is holding talks with the South African government to introduce the satellite service to the country.

Starlink is currently available in several African countries.

Ramaphosa and his delegation aim to attract investors to Africa’s most advanced industrialized economy.

On Monday, Ramaphosa addressed a gathering of US and South African businesspeople and also visited the New York Stock Exchange.

Addressing the General Assembly on Tuesday, he is expected to stress the need to ensure international peace and security, among other issues.

Separately, Lesotho’s Prime Minister Sam Matakane met with Musk to discuss advancing connectivity in the Southern African nation.

"We are committed to exploring innovative solutions to improve internet access and bridge the digital divide for our people. Exciting developments lie ahead,” Matakane said on X.