Amazon Leo Partners Herotel to Launch Satellite Internet Service in South Africa
The partnership marks Amazon Leo's first agreement of its kind in Africa and is expected to bring satellite internet to residential customers when the service launches commercially in 2027.
Amazon Leo has signed an agreement with South African fixed internet service provider Herotel to introduce satellite broadband services in South Africa through a new offering called evry, powered by Amazon Leo. The partnership marks Amazon Leo’s first agreement of its kind in Africa and is expected to bring satellite internet to residential customers when the service launches commercially in 2027.
The collaboration is aimed at expanding internet access to underserved areas across South Africa, where millions of people living on farms, in small towns and rural communities continue to face limited connectivity due to the high cost and complexity of deploying traditional broadband infrastructure.
Under the agreement, Herotel will integrate Amazon Leo’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology into its new evry service. Amazon Leo’s satellites orbit at approximately 590 kilometres above Earth, significantly closer than traditional geostationary satellites, enabling lower latency for applications such as video conferencing, streaming, remote work and online learning. Customers will connect using compact satellite antennas without requiring fibre or fixed wireless infrastructure at their premises.
Herotel currently serves more than 350,000 active customers across over 550 towns through its fibre and fixed wireless networks, supported by 120 local offices nationwide. The company said this existing footprint will provide installation, customer support and field operations for evry from launch.
“Amazon Leo and Herotel share the same mission to empower all South Africans through access to high-speed internet. Herotel has spent years building connectivity across South Africa’s farming towns, small businesses, and communities on the outskirts, and with Amazon Leo they can now reach even more people. This collaboration is about breaking down barriers and unlocking opportunity for millions of people who don’t yet have reliable access for work, education, or the services they depend on.”
– David Zapolsky, Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer, Amazon
Van Zyl Botha, CEO of Herotel, said the partnership would extend connectivity beyond the reach of existing terrestrial networks.
“We have always believed that South Africans outside the major metros deserve reliable, affordable internet. With evry, powered by Amazon Leo, we will reach the customers that even fiber and fixed wireless cannot serve. It no longer matters where you live.”
– Van Zyl Botha, CEO, Herotel
The announcement builds on Amazon’s more than two decades of operations in South Africa and expands the company’s satellite connectivity ambitions across the continent. Amazon noted that Vanu, Inc., a provider of mobile network equipment, is also working with Amazon Leo to extend cellular connectivity to rural communities across Africa, beginning in South Africa.
According to Amazon, these initiatives are expected to support connectivity across southern Africa, where nearly a quarter of the population remains outside mobile network coverage. Citing an Access Partnership report, the company said non-geostationary satellite systems could generate up to $16.9 billion in annual economic benefits for the region.
Amazon Leo currently has more than 390 satellites deployed, enough to begin providing initial services this year across selected latitudes. The company said it will continue expanding coverage and network capacity as additional satellites are launched.
