Amazon is strengthening its long-term commitment to South Africa after senior executives held separate meetings with President Cyril Ramaphosa and Communications Minister Solly Malatsi, as the technology giant prepares to introduce its Leo satellite internet service to the local market.
The discussions, led by Amazon’s Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer David Zapolsky, focused on expanding digital infrastructure investment, growing the country’s technology ecosystem, and supporting South Africa’s ambition to become one of Africa’s leading digital economies.
The meetings came shortly before Amazon confirmed that its low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband service would be distributed in South Africa through local fibre network operator Herotel.
Amazon has maintained a presence in South Africa since 2004 through Amazon Web Services (AWS). Over the past two decades, the company has expanded into cloud computing, e-commerce, logistics and renewable energy projects, while steadily increasing investment across the country.
Recent developments suggest satellite connectivity is becoming Amazon’s next major focus.
Growing Competition In Satellite Internet
Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, began accepting expressions of interest from customers in South Africa during late 2025 ahead of its expected commercial rollout in 2026.
The satellite network currently operates more than 375 production satellites and plans to expand its constellation to approximately 1,618 satellites before the end of July 2026. Although this remains considerably smaller than Starlink’s global network of more than 10,700 satellites, Amazon says its premium service will be capable of delivering download speeds of up to 1Gbps.
Herotel recently confirmed that it had become the first authorised distributor of Amazon Leo services in South Africa.
The company will market the offering under a new product brand called Evry, targeting households, farms and businesses located in areas where conventional fibre or mobile infrastructure is difficult or too expensive to deploy.
The move places Amazon in a favourable position within South Africa’s developing satellite broadband sector, particularly as demand continues to grow for reliable connectivity in underserved communities.
Licensing Debate Continues As Starlink Waits
Amazon’s progress also draws attention to the ongoing regulatory challenges facing Starlink.
Unlike Amazon’s local rollout strategy, Starlink remains unable to launch commercial services while awaiting possible policy changes relating to South Africa’s telecommunications ownership rules.
Current legislation requires telecommunications licence holders to maintain at least 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged South Africans. SpaceX has argued that an Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP) should satisfy those transformation requirements instead of direct equity participation.
However, South Africa’s communications regulator indicated earlier this year that it has no plans to amend the ownership framework, leaving Starlink’s licensing timeline uncertain.
Industry analysts have repeatedly suggested that companies willing to comply with existing regulations or partner with local operators could enter the market ahead of Starlink.
Following his meeting with Amazon executives, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi said the company continues to play an important role in South Africa’s economy through investment, technology development and job creation.
Zapolsky later confirmed that he also met President Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss Amazon’s expanding investment strategy.
According to Amazon, the company has invested more than R54 billion in South Africa over the past decade. Those investments span cloud infrastructure, e-commerce, logistics, renewable energy and digital skills development.
President Ramaphosa has repeatedly highlighted South Africa’s ambition to become Africa’s leading digital investment destination, noting that the country hosts around 70% of the continent’s hyperscale data centre capacity while remaining its largest cloud computing market.
As satellite broadband competition intensifies, Amazon’s latest expansion signals growing confidence in South Africa’s digital future while reshaping the race to connect underserved communities across the country.
Source: MyBroadband