Amazon’s satellite broadband unit, Amazon Leo, will begin service in South Africa by 2027, marking the company’s first such agreement on the African continent. The move positions the Jeff Bezos-founded firm to challenge Elon Musk’s Starlink in Africa’s most industrialised economy, where Starlink remains absent amid a regulatory standoff. South Africa’s post-apartheid Black economic empowerment laws require foreign telecom operators to cede a minority stake to historically disadvantaged groups, a condition Musk has publicly refused, calling the rules racist. The government, by contrast, endorsed the Amazon deal, with the communications minister attending the announcement.

Amazon Leo will integrate with the existing network of South African provider Herotel, which serves 350,000 users across 550 locations via fibre and wireless. The partnership targets millions of rural South Africans who lack reliable internet, according to a company statement. Amazon is also working with Vanu Inc., a US-based mobile internet firm, to extend connectivity in the country, and has indicated that the South African entry is the first step in a broader African expansion. The company has deployed over 390 low-orbit satellites so far, a fraction of Starlink’s more than 10,000, but sufficient to begin service at certain latitudes.

The satellite internet race is unfolding alongside a pivotal test flight for SpaceX. On Thursday, the company’s Starship 13 vehicle is scheduled to lift off from Texas, carrying 20 Starlink V3 satellites—the first time the next-generation units will be deployed. The flight, part of NASA’s Artemis lunar programme preparations, aims to demonstrate controlled landings of both the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy booster after a previous test ended with the booster missing its target. A successful mission would reinforce SpaceX’s launch dominance; the firm already accounts for over 90% of global orbital mass delivered to space, according to Brazilian astronautical specialists.

The competitive dynamics extend beyond Africa. Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier Volaris announced it will equip its entire fleet of more than 150 Airbus jets with Starlink connectivity starting in 2027, as part of a wider Indigo Partners initiative to install the system on over 1,000 aircraft across five airlines. Viewed from Johannesburg, Amazon’s entry offers a connectivity alternative in a market where regulatory friction has stalled Starlink, while from Washington, the Starship test is a milestone for both commercial satellite deployment and NASA’s lunar ambitions. The next factual markers are the Starship 13 flight outcome, Amazon’s continued satellite launches to meet its 2027 service target, and any movement in South Africa’s licensing requirements for Starlink.