Amazon has announced plans to launch its satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, in South Africa in 2027, marking the company’s first satellite internet partnership on the African continent. The US technology giant, founded by Jeff Bezos, will work with South African internet provider Herotel to introduce the service in the country of about 62 million people.
The announcement comes as Amazon seeks to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has already expanded into several African countries but has not launched in South Africa due to regulatory requirements on foreign companies operating in the communications sector.
Starlink has faced resistance from Musk over South Africa’s affirmative action rules, which require foreign firms to allocate a minority ownership stake to Black or other non-white South Africans to obtain operating licences.
South Africa’s Communications Minister Solly Malatsi joined Amazon and Herotel representatives in announcing the agreement, signalling government support for the initiative. Amazon said the South African deal would serve as a starting point for a wider expansion of Amazon Leo across Africa, where millions of people in rural and underserved areas lack reliable internet access.