Project Kuiper, an Amazon competitor to Starlink, is estimated to be only seven or eight months away from an official launch in South Africa, if it partners with a local player to work within existing BEE rules.

Veteran journalist Annika Larsen covered the topic in an episode of Annika Larsen Special Report, entitled Starlink: The Battle for South African Skies.

She asked the CEO of Frampol Africa, Neil Padmore, how far Project Kuiper was behind Starlink. “For South Africa, only about seven or eight months. It’s Starlink today, Amazon tomorrow,” he said.

Larsen expanded on Padmore’s remarks, confirming that he meant Project Kuiper could launch in South Africa within eight months.

However, Amazon would need to partner with a local telecoms player like Vodacom to comply with existing BEE legislation.

Another competitor, China’s G60,000 Sales Satellite Project, is still in development. Commercial launches for the project are expected within 18 to 24 months.

Amazon launched its first batch of production satellites into low-Earth orbit on Monday, 28 April 2025, its most significant step to date in its efforts to establish the satellite Internet service.

The company launched 27 satellites on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The company said the rocket deployed the satellites at an altitude of 280 miles (450km). They’ll use onboard propulsion systems to reach their assigned orbit at an altitude of 392 miles (631km).

The launch marked the first of a 3,236-satellite constellation that Amazon will use to sell Internet connectivity to consumers, businesses, and government clients.

Amazon launched its second batch of operational broadband satellites in June 2025, on a ULA Atlas V rocket that lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The company previously tested two satellite prototypes, which it launched into low-Earth orbit in late 2023. Amazon is planning a commercial rollout for Project Kuiper in 2026.

Big Starlink fight in South Africa

Starlink has indicated that it does not want to work through middlemen and would prefer to obtain its own South African operating licences from sector regulator Icasa.

To acquire the licences to operate in South Africa, Starlink must be 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups (HDGs).

HDGs are South African citizens who are women, people with disabilities, or men classified as Black, Coloured, or Indian.

Communications minister Solly Malatsi published a draft policy directive on 23 May 2025 that aims to provide multinationals with an alternative to HDG ownership requirements in the telecoms sector.

He proposed introducing Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs) in the sector, which would allow global firms to invest in programmes and communities to meet empowerment obligations.

“The objectives of this policy direction are to give effect to existing national and sector policy pertaining to the rollout of broadband and the bridging of the digital divide,” Malatsi said in his proposal.

He added that introducing EEIPs would help encourage investment and promote competition in the telecoms sector.

However, some government officials, including Khusela Diko, chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Communications and Digital Technologies, slammed the proposal.

“It’s clear that this is part of what I believe is an agenda that is largely driven by the Democratic Alliance, and I think some of its reactionary partners,” Diko, an ANC member, said.

“It’s really unfortunate that in our portfolio, the minister there, as his party calls him, is a DA minister, and you can see how some of those policies are trying to find their way into the portfolio.”

Larsen also spoke to Malatsi during the latest episode of Special Report, where the minister said some of the pushback he received is likely because of Elon Musk’s ownership of Starlink.

However, Malatsi said that the proposed introduction of EEIPs “isn’t about Starlink”, adding that the country’s regulations aren’t in sync with legislation surrounding empowerment requirements.

Musk’s close working relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump and some of his remarks about South Africa on his social media platform, Twitter/X, have been controversial.

“I think it has influenced that,” Malatsi said when asked whether the controversies around Musk contributed to the political resistance.

“I’ve tried to separate the individual and the specific company, Starlink, from the conversation, because it’s not about Starlink.”

Source: My Broadband.co.za