South Africa Taps Space42 to Expand Satellite Internet in Underserved Areas
July 6th 2026
- South Africa has launched Space42’s satellite internet and Thuraya satellite phone services to improve connectivity in rural and remote communities.
- The initiative supports the government’s SA Connect strategy and will be implemented locally by BrainSAT South Africa.
- The partnership targets areas where terrestrial broadband infrastructure remains too costly or difficult to deploy.
South Africa has officially launched satellite internet services from BrainSAT and Thuraya satellite phones through a partnership with UAE-based space technology company Space42. The move aligns with the government’s effort to expand digital connectivity in rural and remote communities.
Vice President Paul Mashatile unveiled the services on Tuesday, June 30, in Johannesburg as part of the country’s SA Connect strategy.
“We want a young boy in a rural village, who once had to walk kilometres just to borrow textbooks from a distant school library, to now have full access to digital connectivity. From his home, he should be able to log into online learning platforms, attend virtual classes, and connect with mentors across the world,” Mashatile said.
The launch follows a memorandum of understanding signed between Space42 and South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies after Mashatile’s visit to the United Arab Emirates in April 2024. BrainSAT South Africa, which provides satellite communications solutions for governments and businesses, will oversee local implementation of the partnership.
Space42 has already established a presence in Africa. In January 2025, the company launched Thuraya-4, a mobile communications satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, giving it full coverage of the African continent for the first time. In July 2025, Space42 also raised $695.5 million to finance the development of its next-generation geostationary satellites, Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5.
The partnership is part of the UAE’s broader strategy to expand its technology footprint across Africa through government-to-government cooperation. South Africa is a strategic market for that effort. According to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the country had just 13,667 satellite broadband subscriptions in 2024, representing less than 2% of all wireless broadband subscriptions.
BrainSAT and Thuraya are targeting that largely untapped market, with a particular focus on communities where building traditional broadband infrastructure remains too expensive or technically difficult.
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