Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband venture, Amazon Leo, has entered into a strategic partnership with South African internet service provider Herotel to introduce a new satellite broadband service designed to expand connectivity to underserved communities across the country.
The collaboration will see Herotel launch a consumer service branded evry, combining its existing national customer network with Amazon Leo’s satellite infrastructure. The companies have indicated that the service is intended to improve internet access in rural communities, farming districts and smaller towns where the cost of deploying fibre or terrestrial wireless infrastructure has historically limited broadband availability.
The announcement represents one of the most significant developments in South Africa’s satellite connectivity market and comes at a time when demand for reliable digital infrastructure continues to grow across the continent. Improved connectivity is increasingly viewed as an essential enabler of economic participation, education, healthcare delivery, entrepreneurship and public service access.
According to Amazon, Herotel currently serves more than 350,000 customers through a network spanning over 550 towns and communities, providing fibre and fixed wireless broadband services. The introduction of satellite connectivity is expected to complement rather than replace these existing networks by extending coverage to locations where conventional infrastructure is commercially or geographically difficult to deploy.
David Zapolsky, Amazon’s Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer, said the partnership reflects a shared objective of expanding access to high speed internet across South Africa by reaching communities that have traditionally remained beyond the reach of terrestrial broadband infrastructure.
Herotel Chief Executive Officer Van Zyl Botha said the new service is intended to provide reliable internet connectivity regardless of geographical location, allowing households and businesses outside major metropolitan areas to access digital services that have become increasingly important to everyday life.
The development has also attracted attention because it comes as SpaceX’s Starlink has yet to launch commercial operations in South Africa despite expanding across numerous African markets over the past three years.
Unlike several neighbouring countries where Starlink has secured operating licences, South Africa’s telecommunications licensing framework requires compliance with the country’s Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment policy. Existing legislation administered by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa requires qualifying licensees in certain communications sectors to meet ownership and transformation requirements before operating commercially.
Public debate surrounding Starlink’s market entry has intensified over the past two years following comments by SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk regarding South Africa’s regulatory framework. South African authorities have consistently maintained that licensing decisions are based on compliance with national legislation rather than the identity or nationality of applicants.
In late 2025, South Africa introduced provisions allowing qualifying multinational communications companies to satisfy certain transformation obligations through Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes. These programmes permit approved developmental investments as an alternative mechanism under specific circumstances rather than requiring direct equity transfers. While the regulatory adjustment has broadened available compliance pathways, Starlink has not yet commenced commercial operations in South Africa.
The Amazon Leo partnership does not alter South Africa’s licensing framework but demonstrates that international satellite operators continue to pursue different commercial models for entering one of Africa’s largest digital markets through collaboration with established local telecommunications providers.
Amazon Leo forms part of Amazon’s broader investment in global satellite broadband. The network consists of low Earth orbit satellites operating at approximately 590 kilometres above the Earth’s surface, substantially lower than traditional geostationary satellites positioned at around 35,786 kilometres. This lower orbital altitude generally enables reduced latency, making applications such as video conferencing, online education, cloud computing and digital commerce more responsive for end users.
Customers connect to the network through dedicated satellite terminals, allowing broadband services to reach areas where terrestrial infrastructure remains unavailable or economically unviable.
Across Africa, satellite broadband is increasingly being viewed as one component of a broader digital infrastructure ecosystem rather than a replacement for fibre and mobile networks. Governments, telecommunications operators and development institutions continue to pursue a combination of terrestrial and satellite technologies to address persistent connectivity gaps while supporting national digital transformation strategies.
For South Africa, the arrival of another major satellite broadband provider reflects growing international interest in African digital markets. More broadly, it illustrates how partnerships between global technology companies and African telecommunications firms are becoming an increasingly important model for expanding connectivity while operating within national regulatory frameworks.
As satellite broadband competition expands across the continent, the long term impact is likely to be measured not only by market share but by the extent to which these investments improve affordable internet access, strengthen digital inclusion and support locally driven economic development throughout Africa.
