Vodacom, South Africa’s biggest mobile network operator by subscriber base, has entered into an agreement with Elon Musk’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband services firm Starlink.
The partnership seeks to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet to millions of businesses across Africa and to expand rural network coverage.
In a statement today, Vodacom says this collaboration marks a crucial step in bridging the digital divide and unlocking new opportunities for economic growth, education and innovation across Africa.
Vodacom also has a partnership with Starlink rival Amazon’s Project Kuiper to extend the reach of 4G/5G services in Europe and Africa.
In April, Amazon launched the first batch of its Project Kuiper broadband internet satellites to take on SpaceX’s Starlink.
The partnership between Vodacom and SpaceX-owned Starlink comes as Musk’s service remains unavailable in South Africa, unlike in other neighbouring African countries.
Starlink is not yet officially available in South Africa primarily due to regulatory and ownership requirements.
Although the satellite network technically covers the country, Starlink has not applied for, or received the necessary licences from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa to operate commercially.
Local law requires that telecoms operators meet ownership and empowerment conditions, including a minimum 30% stake held by historically disadvantaged South Africans, which Starlink has not yet complied with.
Amid the impasse, Starlink has said it will form a broad-based black economic empowerment compliant South African subsidiary in its bid to secure a licence to operate in the country, building on its earlier commitment to socio-economic development.
Vodacom notes that integrating Starlink’s satellite backhaul into its mobile network will accelerate network coverage expansion, while increasing network performance in rural areas.
It notes that the collaboration will deliver “robust connectivity” to remote schools, health centres and communities, empowering millions with access to digital services and information.
Under the deal, Vodacom will be authorised to resell Starlink equipment and services to enterprise and small business customers in Africa, while retaining the flexibility to create localised value propositions that consider the unique requirements and affordability of the African market.
“By listening to clients across a range of industries – mining, oil and gas, agriculture, tourism, retail and financial services – we have created a suite of relevant products,” says the mobile network operator.
Leveraging terrestrial and space-based technologies, it says these products include pay-as-you-use backup internet, 100% unbreakable internet, device-as-a-service and branch network pooling.
“Vodacom already offers 4G, 5G, fibre, MPLS, microwave and GEO Sat coverage across our markets, and Starlink high-performance internet is a perfect addition to our bouquet of offerings,” it notes.
According to the telco, this accord aligns with Vodacom’s Vision 2030 strategy to grow its customer base to 260 million and its financial services customers to 120 million within five years. By harnessing Starlink as a complementary layer, Vodacom says it is edging closer to universal coverage.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Starlink, a move that accelerates our mission to connect every African to the internet,” says Vodacom group CEO Shameel Joosub.
“Low Earth orbit satellite technology will help bridge the digital divide where traditional infrastructure is not feasible, and this partnership will unlock new possibilities for the unconnected.”
Chad Gibbs, vice-president of Starlink operations at SpaceX, adds: “Starlink is already serving people, businesses and organisations in 25 African countries. By collaborating with Vodacom, Starlink can deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity to even more customers, transforming lives and communities across the continent.”
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