Starlink’s Speeds Plummet to Second Slowest in Africa

Kenya Starlink users are now experiencing severely reduced download speeds making the country’s Starlink network the second slowest in Africa. The average download speed has dropped to 47 Mbps in Q1 2025 from over 200 Mbps when the service launched locally in July 2023 according to data from internet speed tracking firm Ookla.

Why Speed Matters to You

Download speed affects how fast you can do every day online tasks—watch videos, stream music, download files or browse social media. A drop from 200 Mbps to 47 Mbps is a big blow to customers who were attracted to Starlink for its fast speeds and competitive pricing.

Starlink’s Rapid Growth and Market Disruption

By end of 2024 Starlink had over 19,000 subscribers in Kenya, 1.1% of the market. Their aggressive entry strategy included selling hardware kits at half the price, introducing the Starlink Mini and even offering leasing options instead of upfront purchase.

This aggressive pricing and performance shook up the Kenyan internet market with major providers like Safaricom, Zuku and Jamii Telecommunications complaining to regulators about the satellite operator.

Speeds Drop Across Africa—but Kenya Suffers Most

Starlink’s performance hasn’t only dropped in Kenya. Similar slowdowns have been recorded in Nigeria, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. But Kenya has seen the biggest drop now second only to Madagascar which clocks 44.2 Mbps.

In Nigeria for example speeds have dropped from 150 Mbps in 2023 to under 50 Mbps while Zimbabwe and South Sudan also recorded 49 Mbps.

What’s Causing the Slowdown?

According to Ookla’s lead analyst Karim Yaici the slowdown is due to over-demand. “Starlink is facing capacity issues and has paused new sign-ups in several countries,” he said.

In Kenya this includes Nairobi and surrounding counties like Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Murang’a where Starlink suspended new connections in November 2024 citing network congestion.

Limited Ground Infrastructure in Africa

Starlink’s global network uses low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites and ground-based hubs called Points of Presence (PoPs). While the company has over 7,000 satellites globally, Africa is underserved with only two PoPs—one in Kenya and one in Nigeria.

The US has 14 PoPs out of Starlink’s 33 worldwide, showing the huge infrastructure gap that’s causing performance issues on the continent.

Waiting for Capacity—But No Timeline

Though Starlink is still accepting pre-orders, new customers in the affected Kenyan counties are on a waitlist. The company says it’s working to add capacity but has no timeline.

“We can’t provide an estimated timeframe for service availability, but our teams are working as fast as they can to add more capacity,” says a notice on Starlink’s website.

Other African Countries Outperform Kenya

Interestingly, countries where Starlink entered after Kenya are getting better speeds. Botswana is leading with 106 Mbps, followed by Eswatini with 86.2 Mbps. Even our regional neighbors Rwanda and Burundi got better averages—85.5 Mbps and 79.5 Mbps respectively.

This is a big concern for Kenya’s long term Starlink experience if the infrastructure issues aren’t sorted out soon.

Regulatory Hurdles and Market Resistance

Starlink’s entry into African markets hasn’t been smooth. In Nigeria—its first African market—authorities blocked price hikes to manage a ballooning user base which had hit over 65,000 by October 2024.

In other countries, state run telecoms, and strict regulatory environments are still challenging Starlink’s expansion and operations.

The Road Ahead: Can Starlink Keep Up?

Starlink’s business model is built on affordability and speed, riding on the credibility of Elon Musk’s vision and the financial muscle of his empire worth over $237 billion. But maintaining user satisfaction in high demand regions like Kenya will require more than low prices—it’ll need serious investment in local infrastructure and service reliability.

Until Starlink increases capacity—either by launching more satellites over East Africa or setting up more Points of Presence—the early promise of ultra-fast satellite internet in Kenya will remain just that—a promise.

Conclusion

Starlink revolutionized Kenya’s internet space in record time but its recent speed drop is a wakeup call. It still outpaces traditional ISPs but the growing pains are evident. The future of satellite internet in Kenya depends on how fast Starlink can scale up to meet demand—and whether it can maintain the high standards it set at launch.

If you’re joining Starlink, you might want to wait—or at least, keep your expectations low.