Amazon has announced its first satellite broadband agreement in Africa, partnering with South African internet service provider Herotel to launch Amazon Leo across the country from 2027.
The agreement will see Herotel use Amazon Leo’s low-Earth orbit satellite constellation to deliver a new residential broadband service, branded evry, targeting homes and small businesses in rural and regional areas where fibre and fixed wireless infrastructure remain uneconomical to deploy.
The partnership represents a major milestone for Amazon’s satellite communications ambitions, marking the company’s first commercial distribution agreement on the African continent as it accelerates the global rollout of Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper.
Herotel, South Africa’s largest fixed internet service provider, currently serves more than 350,000 customers across over 550 towns through a combination of fibre and fixed wireless networks. Under the agreement, the company will manage customer installations, field services and ongoing support, leveraging its nationwide network of more than 120 offices.
Amazon said the partnership is aimed at addressing one of South Africa’s most persistent digital infrastructure challenges by extending reliable internet access to communities beyond the reach of conventional telecommunications networks. Millions of South Africans continue to have limited access to high-speed broadband due to the high cost of deploying terrestrial infrastructure across remote and sparsely populated regions.
This announcement also strengthens Amazon’s position in the increasingly competitive satellite broadband market, where operators are racing to establish services across Africa. While SpaceX’s Starlink has expanded into numerous African countries, its long-awaited entry into South Africa remains subject to local regulatory and licensing requirements.
Amazon has been steadily expanding the reach of Amazon Leo through partnerships with telecommunications providers and network operators worldwide. Earlier initiatives have included agreements with Vodafone and Vodacom to improve connectivity in remote parts of Africa and Europe, alongside launch arrangements across Latin America, Asia and Oceania.
The South African rollout forms part of Amazon’s broader strategy to establish Amazon Leo as a global broadband platform capable of complementing existing terrestrial networks rather than replacing them. By working with established local telecommunications providers, the company aims to accelerate deployment while taking advantage of existing customer support, installation and service infrastructure.
Commercial services are expected to commence in 2027, with pricing and customer packages to be announced closer to launch.
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