If you want to see the stars, go to the sparsely populated desert country of Namibia or South Africa’s Northern Cape province, where there are low levels of light pollution and a spectacular night sky. That’s why South Africa built its Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope site – and Suth-erland’s South African Astronomical Observatory – in the Northern Cape. The stars shine brighter out there, and the distance between Earth and outer space feels so much closer.

No wonder, then, that Namibia recently announced a national space port. Backed by the Namibian government, managed by Eos Capital and spearheaded by Q-KON Namibia, the project isn’t a space port in the strictest sense of the term (Namibia isn’t sending spacecraft into the Great Unknown anytime soon). It will, however, serve as an important regional hub for satellite communication networks, and it’s a clear indication that the country – and Africa as a whole – is taking satellite technology seriously.

‘The Namibia Space Port represents a monumental stride towards harnessing the vast potential of space technology for the growth of Namibia and Africa’s communication capabilities,’ says Emma Theofelus, Namibia’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology. ‘The project shows Namibia’s commitment to space exploration, innovation and sustainable development. With a strategic focus on collaboration, capacity building and technological advancement, the Namibia Space Port will make our country a worthy player in the African space arena.’

That arena is growing rapidly. Respected consultancy Space in Africa estimates that the continent’s space industry could be worth US$22.6 billion by 2026, up from US$19.5 billion in 2021. Africa already has about 60 satellites in orbit and, as part of the AU’s stellar ambitions, the African Space Agency (AfSA) was recently inaugurated, with Tidiane Ouattara named as the first president of the African Space Council.

Ouattara has described Africa as ‘the El Dorado for global space business’. It’s easy to see why. The continent is enormous, with its 30.37 million km² of land area being big enough to fit in the US, China, India, Japan, Mexico and many European countries combined. Terrestrial communication networks are economically unfeasible. Satellite connectivity makes more sense.

‘In Africa, we’re witnessing a growing adoption of 4G and increased interest in 5G, driven by the need to expand connectivity in underserved regions,’ says Vaibhav Magow, VP of the international division at satellite provider Hughes. ‘According to the GSMA, sub-Saharan Africa has the largest mobile coverage gap globally, with 12.1% of the population lacking access to mobile phone services, compared to the global average of 7.7%. This significant under-connectivity makes the region a prime market for satellite operators and our mobile network operator partners.’

Much of the growth in the continent’s satellite industry is being driven by multi-orbit satellite services, which integrate geostationary orbit (GEO), medium-Earth orbit (MEO) and low-Earth orbit (LEO) services into a single, consolidated service.

‘The use of multiple technology options for different requirements has already significantly impacted the African connectivity landscape,’ says Dawie de Wet, group CEO of Q-KON. ‘A quick reference is rapid market adoption of Starlink services – where it is available – or alternatively, the high prelaunch demand for SES mPower MEO services. Also, the OneWeb services are forecasting a demand that will exceed the gen-1 satellite network capacity, and they are therefore already planning the gen-2 constellation.’

One of the reasons for the buzz around multi-orbit services is that they promise the best of all three worlds in an efficient and affordable offering. ‘The multi-orbit scenario has added large quantities of capacity to the African landscape at price points that are competitive, and they are adding to the market options to meet demand,’ says De Wet. ‘The industry price reference has moved significantly with US$/Mbps pricing dropping to around 50% less than three to five years ago. This is partly driven by the price points offered by the mega LEO operators as well as by the improved efficiencies of GEO satellite platforms.’

Magow explains Africa’s satellite boom by saying that modern satellite terminals rival terrestrial solutions in reliability, power consumption and coverage, and they provide homogeneous solutions across large regions.

‘Beyond telecoms operators, several sectors – retail, financial services and even mining – are turning to the latest generation of satellite technology to address the high throughput requirements of modern applications in Africa,’ says Magow, laying out the use cases. ‘The financial services sector, for example, has relied on satellite connectivity to power banking operations and ATMs in remote areas, but is now enhancing this connectivity to offer internet at bank branches.’

Similarly, he continues, the oil, gas and mining industries have depended on satellite solutions to maintain reliable communication at isolated sites, ensuring continuous operations and safety. They are now using the enhanced capabilities of higher throughput and secure links to provide internet and complete automation solutions.

‘Agriculture is another sector increasingly relying on satellite services,’ he says. ‘Satellite-enabled internet of things applications allow farmers to monitor crops and optimise resource usage even in areas without terrestrial infrastructure. Additionally, governments and healthcare providers are leveraging satellite connectivity to extend services to rural communities, such as connecting health clinics and educational institutions with specialists only available in the large cities. Today’s multi-orbit solutions enable real-time video streaming and large data file downloads, which are essential for rural health clinics trying to offer services comparable to those in urban areas.’

For Q-KON, meanwhile, De Wet says that the market footprint remains in the financial, enterprise, mining, industrial, retail and hospitality market segments. ‘Within all sectors LEO services now offer a very feasible and most affordable option for fibre redundancy as well as primary services to “off-grid” locations,’ he adds.

Perhaps the simplest, but most powerful account of how African industries harness satellite technology comes from Ouattara, the African Space Council president. In an interview with CNN, he spoke of a fisherman’s association in Ghana that started providing weather forecasts, based on satellite data, to locals who use traditional canoes that can be dangerous in bad weather conditions. From 2017 to 2022, Ouattara said, there was only one canoeing death. Before the system was implemented, there were about 15 to 18 deaths every year.

It’s a profoundly African – and profoundly Earth-bound – anecdote. But it perfectly sums up why the continent’s future lies high in the sky, in medium- and low-Earth orbit.

By Mark van Dijk
Images: SARAO