Just a bit of South African context. In South Africa, in order to get a telcoms licence, you have to comply with BB-BEE (Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment) requirements. Basically, you have to sell 30% (soon to be 51%) of your company to a local black owner. This is in addition to DEI requirements for employment.
For most businesses, these requirements are not mandatory to exist or operate, but gives you a bidding advantage for government contracts. For example, Microsoft, amazon and Temu can operate here, because they dont need any special licences. But for some sectors, companies need to aquire a license.
It can be argued that such legislation was necessary to incentivise business to diversify their employment and ownership to those previously excluded.
BUT, the way it is implemented, there is a huge emphasis on black ownership for various sectors. What will basically happen is a business needs to acquire a license from a government department. These licenses would only be granted if you give ownership of your company to the “appropriate” investor. Invariably someone connected to the government. They determine the price and basically get gifted portions of companies.
So what has basically happened is that this legislation only effective portion these days, is to enrich the politically connected.
So basically Elon is not wanting to pay the bribes necessary to get the required license to operate.
I don’t think saying “because i’m not black” is the same as “i don’t want to pay the bribes that only enrich the political connected”. He seems to be only angry about the colour part, and not cronyism and nepotism. He’s twisting the truth, let’s not help justifying shit for him and make him happy.
Ohh do i mention he’s also the result of cronyism and nepotism? He have no right to criticise others.
I agree with you that he is being a racist asshole about it. He is emphasizing the race part of the legislation over the bribe part of it, because that is more politically useful to him.
It does not make the legislation less problematic. The ANC is begging the world to invest in the country, but not because that is what the country needs, but because it feeds the state mandated corruption.
In what sense is he correct? It’s not because he’s not black, you’ve just cited the workaround—and it’s not like he’s a guy who takes a principled stand against nepotism. The idea of the state taking partial ownership of a company that is operating in their country also doesn’t give me too much pause, free trade is extractive—and I’m simply not sure that Elon Musk deserves that money more than someone in the South African government, lol
Agree, he is not taking a principled stance. He is playing the “I am being oppressed because of my race” card, despite his extensive privilege.
One correction, it’s not the state that officially takes ownership, it’s politically connected private individuals who get the ownership. The public gets zero benefit.
What’s amazing is that many other African countries have the same or a similar rule. And Starlink operates on those counties, meaning that he is willing to engage with the rules-as-official-bribes system. It’s that he wants to try and name the SA government look like they’re prioritizing bribes over “improving” things for the average person. He has demonstrated it’s entirely personal.
Meanwhile, Amazon and EuTelSat are going to have a non-politicized alternative to market before he ever gets his head out of his ass, and lap him in that largest market on the continent.
Just a bit of South African context. In South Africa, in order to get a telcoms licence, you have to comply with BB-BEE (Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment) requirements. Basically, you have to sell 30% (soon to be 51%) of your company to a local black owner. This is in addition to DEI requirements for employment.
For most businesses, these requirements are not mandatory to exist or operate, but gives you a bidding advantage for government contracts. For example, Microsoft, amazon and Temu can operate here, because they dont need any special licences. But for some sectors, companies need to aquire a license.
It can be argued that such legislation was necessary to incentivise business to diversify their employment and ownership to those previously excluded.
BUT, the way it is implemented, there is a huge emphasis on black ownership for various sectors. What will basically happen is a business needs to acquire a license from a government department. These licenses would only be granted if you give ownership of your company to the “appropriate” investor. Invariably someone connected to the government. They determine the price and basically get gifted portions of companies.
So what has basically happened is that this legislation only effective portion these days, is to enrich the politically connected.
So basically Elon is not wanting to pay the bribes necessary to get the required license to operate.
I Hate the buffoon, but on this he is correct.
I don’t think saying “because i’m not black” is the same as “i don’t want to pay the bribes that only enrich the political connected”. He seems to be only angry about the colour part, and not cronyism and nepotism. He’s twisting the truth, let’s not help justifying shit for him and make him happy.
Ohh do i mention he’s also the result of cronyism and nepotism? He have no right to criticise others.
I agree with you that he is being a racist asshole about it. He is emphasizing the race part of the legislation over the bribe part of it, because that is more politically useful to him.
It does not make the legislation less problematic. The ANC is begging the world to invest in the country, but not because that is what the country needs, but because it feeds the state mandated corruption.
Both parties are in the wrong here.
In what sense is he correct? It’s not because he’s not black, you’ve just cited the workaround—and it’s not like he’s a guy who takes a principled stand against nepotism. The idea of the state taking partial ownership of a company that is operating in their country also doesn’t give me too much pause, free trade is extractive—and I’m simply not sure that Elon Musk deserves that money more than someone in the South African government, lol
Agree, he is not taking a principled stance. He is playing the “I am being oppressed because of my race” card, despite his extensive privilege.
One correction, it’s not the state that officially takes ownership, it’s politically connected private individuals who get the ownership. The public gets zero benefit.
Thank you for the clarification.
Of all the people who deserve money, corrupt politicians and lobbyists are the only two groups who deserve it less than people like musk
This is 100% correct in high detail.
What’s amazing is that many other African countries have the same or a similar rule. And Starlink operates on those counties, meaning that he is willing to engage with the rules-as-official-bribes system. It’s that he wants to try and name the SA government look like they’re prioritizing bribes over “improving” things for the average person. He has demonstrated it’s entirely personal.
Meanwhile, Amazon and EuTelSat are going to have a non-politicized alternative to market before he ever gets his head out of his ass, and lap him in that largest market on the continent.