Key facts
- Amazon will launch its satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, in South Africa in 2027.
- The service will be offered in partnership with South African provider Herotel.
- This is Amazon's first satellite internet agreement in Africa.
- Elon Musk's Starlink has faced regulatory obstacles in South Africa due to affirmative action policies.
- Amazon has over 390 operational low-orbit satellites, while Starlink has over 10,000.
Amazon announced on Wednesday that its satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, is set to launch in South Africa in 2027. This move positions Amazon ahead of Elon Musk's Starlink in Africa's most developed economy. The company, founded by Jeff Bezos, will partner with South African internet provider Herotel to bring the service to the country's 62 million residents, marking Amazon's first satellite internet agreement on the African continent.
No financial terms for the deal were disclosed. Amazon's announcement comes amid criticism from Musk regarding South African regulations that he claims have prevented Starlink's launch due to affirmative action policies. These policies require foreign companies in the communications sector to cede minority ownership to Black or other non-white individuals to obtain licenses, a measure intended to address historical inequalities from the apartheid era.
The South African government has expressed support for the Amazon deal, with Communications Minister Solly Malatsi attending the announcement alongside representatives from Amazon and Herotel. Amazon has deployed over 390 low-orbit satellites, while Starlink, which began launching in 2019, has more than 10,000 in orbit and has already launched in approximately two dozen other African countries. Musk has publicly refused to comply with South Africa's affirmative action regulations.
Amazon stated that the South African agreement is the initial step in its broader plan to roll out satellite internet services across Africa. The company also intends to collaborate with Vanu Inc., a U.S.-based firm focused on mobile internet solutions for developing nations. The continent, with over 1.5 billion people, presents a significant market for satellite internet due to widespread lack of fixed internet connections in rural and remote areas.