Elon Musk meets Southern African leaders in New York

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In New York, U.S. business mogul Elon Musk held separate meetings on Tuesday with the leaders of South Africa and Lesotho to explore local business opportunities.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, President Cyril Ramaphosa engaged in talks with South African-born Musk to discuss potential investments in the country, according to a statement from Ramaphosa’s office on X. No further details were provided from the closed-door discussions.

Local media reported that the meeting coincided with ongoing negotiations between Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, and the South African government to introduce the service in the country. Starlink is already available in several African nations.

Ramaphosa and his team are focused on attracting investors to Africa’s most advanced industrialized economy.

On Monday, he addressed a gathering of U.S. and South African business leaders and also visited the New York Stock Exchange.

During his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Ramaphosa is expected to emphasize the importance of maintaining international peace and security, among other issues.

Meanwhile, Lesotho’s Prime Minister Sam Matakane also met with Musk to discuss enhancing 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.