Nigeria is the first country where a license for Amazon Leo has been announced. But prior to that, the company had already signed a partnership agreement with the Vodacom group, through its parent company Vodafone, to expand its 4G/5G network in Africa.

The American company Amazon is preparing to launch its satellite internet services in South Africa, shortly after receiving approval from Nigerian authorities. This information was reported by the South African media outlet ITWeb , which quoted Helen Kyeyune, head of regulatory affairs and licensing for sub-Saharan Africa at Amazon Leo. The service is expected to be deployed later in 2026.

According to ITWeb , Ms. Kyeyune was speaking at the end of last week during public hearings organized by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), as part of the consultation process on the second version of the Draft National Radio Frequency Plan 2025.

On this occasion, she indicated that Amazon Leo intends to support the expansion of internet coverage in South Africa by providing satellite backhaul capacity to local internet service providers. “Therefore, we are partnering with local companies to provide the network and services. The local companies will own the customer relationship and assume regulatory responsibility,” she explained. She added that the company will work with the regulator to ensure that elements such as spectrum and other resources can be negotiated and approved in a way that supports the provision of services by local companies.

A different positioning?

This positioning suggests, at least initially, a different model from that of Starlink, which markets its services directly to end users via dedicated terminals. However, Amazon does plan to offer similar customer devices with a comparable functionality.

The question then arises as to whether this is a phased rollout strategy. Ms. Kyeyune indicates that Amazon Leo’s objective is to initially provide the service to a limited number of customers as part of a commercial beta. A wider rollout will follow as new satellites are launched and network coverage and capacity increase. The company already has an agreement in place to help the South African group Vodacom strengthen and expand its network in the country and its other markets across the continent.

It also remains to be seen to what extent this positioning is an adaptation to the South African regulatory framework, particularly regarding licenses, spectrum, and local participation. At this stage, Starlink has still not launched its services in the country, even though the company has had a commercial presence on the continent since January 2023 and currently operates in approximately 25 African countries. In Southern Africa, several countries already benefit from Starlink services, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Lesotho, and eSwatini.

In South Korea, the telecom regulator requires any foreign company seeking an ICT license to transfer at least 30% of its capital to historically disadvantaged communities. Faced with Starlink’s reluctance, the government has proposed relaxing this framework by incorporating Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs). While Starlink has expressed support for this option and has already submitted proposals, the mechanism remains contested by some politicians and industry stakeholders.

It’s worth remembering that 13.3 million South Africans, or 20.4% of the population, were still not using the internet at the end of 2025, according to DataReportal data. This represents a significant pool of potential customers for Amazon Leo and its partners, especially since satellite technology promises total coverage of the country. In addition to those without internet access, there are also those seeking high-quality, reliable internet connectivity for needs such as teleworking, e-learning, artificial intelligence, machine learning, gaming, and streaming.

Source: Agence Ecofin