Amazon Leo satellite internet to launch in South Africa

Amazon Leo satellite broadband will launch in South Africa in 2027 via partnership with local provider Herotel, making South Africa the first African nation to secure the service and positioning Amazon ahead of Starlink, which remains blocked by regulatory disputes. If you sell connectivity infrastructure or operate in rural broadband, Amazon just picked the regulatory path Starlink rejected—and won. South Africa's B-BBEE rules became an advantage, not a barrier; expect the playbook to repeat across Africa.