Amazon Partners With Herotel to Launch Satellite Internet in South Africa

Amazon signed a distribution agreement with South African internet provider Herotel to launch a satellite broadband service called evry in 2027. Utilizing the Amazon Leo low Earth orbit satellite constellation, the service targets residential customers, farms, and game reserves in rural areas where fiber and fixed wireless infrastructure are impractical. The service is expected to offer upload speeds up to 1Gbps and download speeds of 400Mbps.

Herotel will manage local installation and support through its network of 120 offices and hold the necessary ICASA operating licenses. This represents Amazon's first satellite internet deal in Africa and is part of a wider expansion strategy that includes partnerships with Vanu Inc. and Vodafone. The agreement received endorsement from South African Communications Minister Solly Malatsi.

The launch positions Amazon as an early entrant in the South African market, ahead of SpaceX's Starlink. While Starlink operates in numerous other African nations, it remains stalled in South Africa due to regulatory disputes. Elon Musk has refused to comply with affirmative action licensing rules that require foreign communications firms to grant minority ownership stakes to non-white citizens, characterizing the regulations as racist.