After a near 2-month hiatus, Starlink is now back into expansion mode with its launch in Zambia. πΏπ²
Starlink is currently available in 63 countries across the globe. In 2023 alone, it has expanded into 18 countries, 5 of them being in Africa.
Most recently, Starlink was introduced in The Bahamas, Malawi, Malaysia, Kenya, Guatemala, and many others.
In the interim, Starlink also managed to grow to over 2 million customers and got rid of the waitlist requirements for its Residential tier in the US.
If Starlink gets back into market expansion mode, especially with launches in India or Indonesia being imminent, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them breeze past 3 million customers in a matter of months.
Meanwhile, the Residential package, Starlink’s most commonly adopted plan, is priced at ZMW 771 (~ USD 36.23) per month.
Hardware will cost customers another ZMW 10,744 (~ USD 504.28) for the Standard rectangular antenna, which might soon be replaced by the new and likely more potent Gen3 version.
The USD 36 / months subscription charge makes Zambia one, if not the cheapest option among all the markets Starlink operates in.
Feel free to check out all the different prices that Starlink charges by visiting our global price list.
That said, it does take around 2 to 3 weeks to receive your hardware – at least according to Starlink’s order checkout page.
Zambia, with a GDP per capita of around USD 1,176, is one of the poorer countries in the region. That said, a population of almost 21 million should represent a somewhat attractive opportunity.
Starlink’s launch may certainly unlock new opportunities for locals and businesses alike. Zambia currently ranks 150th worldwide in fixed broadband performance (at about a 12 Mbps average).
New customers of Residential can easily expect 100 Mbps, even with Africa’s limited availability of ground stations. And with its newest space lasers, speeds will likely improve further.
Going forward, I would expect various partnerships with local government bodies. In Rwanda, for example, Starlink equipped 50 local schools with its technology.
Expect similar announcements, to drive up demand and government funding, across Zambia and other African nations very soon.
If one buys the hardware now that is going to be replaced by the Gen3 will that be an extra charge to the customer?
βHardware will cost customers another ZMW 10,744 (~ USD 504.28) for the Standard rectangular antenna, which might soon be replaced by the new and likely more potent Gen3 versionβ.
Hi Alma, no. You can continue using Starlinkk with the Gen2 hardware. The upgrade to Gen3 hardware is optional. Plus, African countries normally don’t have access to the newer hardware models until a few months after the they were rolled out.
Is there a limit to the number of devices that one can connect to the Starlink router?
Hi George, it’s 128 devices.
Doe Starlink have ground stations in each of the African countries it has launched in Africa?
Hi Langa, no, not yet. That isn’t even the case in Europe, so I wouldn’t expect Africa to follow suit anytime soon.
Hi Victor, it is a shame there is no boots on the ground here in Zambia as we are struggling with the issue of Unexpected Location!!! fixing on your APP does not help.
As I was very exited for my Starlink, only to be met with frustration. I did confirm my residential address on the APP, and has been a day with no change, as I am still offline.
How can this be fixed?
Hi Dries, have you contacted Starlink’s support already?
Hi
I paid for starlink kit preorder on 12th of February 2024 till to date i have not received a confirmation on my order for me to make the final payment meanwhile your web information states that it will only take 2 to 3 weeks to receive your kit after order.
Have you contacted support?