JOHANNESBURG, July 15 - Amazon’s low-earth orbit satellite internet initiative, Amazon Leo, has entered into an agreement with South African internet provider Herotel to offer satellite-based broadband services across underserved parts of the country. The partners said the product, named evry, is intended for residential customers and is scheduled to launch commercially in 2027.
Under the terms announced, Herotel - which is owned by Maziv - will integrate Amazon Leo’s satellite technology into its service delivery. The ISP said its existing infrastructure and local presence will be used to handle installation, customer support and ongoing field operations when the service becomes available. Herotel currently reports serving more than 350,000 customers across over 550 towns and operating 120 offices nationwide.
Both companies framed the tie-up as an effort to close a persistent connectivity gap in South Africa. Millions of residents on farms, in small towns and in rural settlements remain without dependable internet access because traditional fibre and wireless networks are often not economical to deploy in those locations, the partners said.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
David Zapolsky, Amazon’s chief global affairs and legal officer, said the collaboration aims to remove obstacles to reliable online access and create opportunities for work, education and essential services for people currently without dependable connectivity.
The deal comes amid growing competition among satellite internet providers looking to expand in Africa. SpaceX’s Starlink is also seeking to enter the South African market but is currently awaiting proposed changes to licensing rules that could permit foreign satellite operators to meet local ownership and empowerment requirements via alternatives to taking equity stakes.
Earlier this year, Amazon Leo signed an agreement with Vodafone to connect Vodafone’s network to base stations in hard-to-reach African locations through Vodafone’s South African subsidiary, Vodacom. The new arrangement with Herotel builds on Amazon Leo’s broader push to link satellite capabilities with regional network operators.
Implications
The agreement pairs satellite capability with an established local ISP footprint, potentially accelerating residential satellite broadband availability in areas where fibre and mobile networks have limited reach.