How Elon Musk's expanding footprint is shaping the future of sub-Saharan Africa

Kohnert, Dirk (2025): How Elon Musk's expanding footprint is shaping the future of sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract

South African-born tycoon Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is also a senior advisor to US President Donald Trump and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) since 2025Musk’s influence is growing globally, including in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Trump's second presidency will be difficult for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), especially South Africa. Both Trump and Musk have their own agendas. Trump's well-known prejudices against Africa have been reinforced by South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Musk supports white Africans' claims against Pretoria for alleged land dispossession. Musk’s key projects seek to establish political and cultural hegemony in global markets. For example, ‘Starlink’, which already provides global internet access in 114 countries, including SSA, and Tesla's energy Megapack solutions. His projects are not limited to technology and commerce, but aim to change the power dynamics in international relations. However, the services provides often seem out of reach for many Africans due to the high cost. Musk's role as 'techno-feudal lord' is unprecedented. He even acts as arbiter in wars between nations, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His random swings from altruistic to narcissistic, from strategic to impulsive, have been the subject of countless publications. He apparently wants the world to be saved, but only if he can be the one to save it. His political shift to right-wing populism began with his purchase of ‘Twitter’, when he deliberately spread misinformation on the platform. Within days of his purchase, for example, thousands of anonymous accounts began bombarding feeds with racist content. Musk's involvement in AI, including 'ChatGPT', seemed to be mainly about control, credit and rivalry. It is difficult to say whether his interest is driven by scientific curiosity and altruism, or by a desire to dominate a new and potentially powerful industry. Musk's support for autocratic leaders in Turkey, India and SSA, for example, is a reminder that big tech companies, not just states, are active players in transnational repression around the world. Authoritarian regimes and tech companies share a striking similarity: an appetite for information about their populations. While Big Tech uses this data for advertising profits, authoritarian states use it to tighten their grip on their populations. Multinational corporations are not simply subservient to the state. They can become more powerful, and sometimes more dangerous, than nations or even empires.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Elon Musk; Business magnate; Trump government; Sub-Sahara Africa; Trade policy; nationalism; protectionism; South Africa; Nigeria, Kenya
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D2 - Production and Organizations > D22 - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis; D - Microeconomics > D3 - Distribution > D31 - Personal Income, Wealth, and Their Distributions; D - Microeconomics > D4 - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design > D42 - Monopoly; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F13 - Trade Policy ; International Trade Organizations; F - International Economics > F5 - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy > F51 - International Conflicts ; Negotiations ; Sanctions; F - International Economics > F5 - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy > F52 - National Security ; Economic Nationalism; F - International Economics > F6 - Economic Impacts of Globalization; P - Economic Systems > P1 - Capitalist Systems > P16 - Political Economy; P - Economic Systems > P5 - Comparative Economic Systems > P52 - Comparative Studies of Particular Economies; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics ; Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology > Z13 - Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology ; Social and Economic Stratification

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