Amazon Brings Satellite Internet to South Africa

Millions of South Africans living beyond the reach of fiber cables are about to get a powerful new way to get online.

Amazon is launching its low-Earth orbit satellite internet service in South Africa before the end of 2025, the company announced during public hearings with South Africa's telecom regulator ICASA. The service, called Amazon LEO (formerly Project Kuiper), will beam high-speed internet from space directly to areas where traditional networks struggle to reach.

Instead of selling directly to customers, Amazon is taking a partnership approach. The company will provide the satellite technology while licensed South African internet providers handle customers and regulatory compliance. It's a simple division: Amazon supplies the satellites, locals sell the service.

This strategy matters because it sidesteps the regulatory hurdles that have kept competitor Starlink out of the South African market. Starlink has been stuck on the sidelines over local ownership requirements, unable to launch despite high demand.

Helen Kyeyune, Amazon LEO's regulatory lead for sub-Saharan Africa, says the company is working closely with ICASA on spectrum and technical approvals. Amazon's existing relationship with Vodacom, one of South Africa's largest telecoms, could smooth the path even further.

The Ripple Effect

Low-Earth orbit satellites orbit much closer to Earth than traditional satellites, making internet connections faster and more responsive. For rural schools, clinics, and businesses that have never had reliable broadband, this technology could be transformative.

Amazon plans to launch thousands of satellites as part of its global network. The scale of the project positions it as a serious alternative in Africa's growing satellite internet race, bringing competition that could drive down prices and improve service for everyone.

The timing couldn't be better. As South Africa debates how to regulate satellite internet, Amazon's partner-first model shows how global tech companies and local providers can work together to connect underserved communities.

With launch planned before year's end, millions of South Africans may soon discover that the fastest route to the internet runs through space.