Vodacom has quietly closed a deal that could change how millions of Africans get online. The Johannesburg-based operator announced it will integrate Starlink satellite backhaul into its mobile network and resell Starlink terminals and services across the continent.
The move comes after years of regulatory friction that kept Starlink out of South Africa, and it immediately raises questions about who will benefit and how quickly the service will roll out.
Satellite links can reach places where fibre and towers are too expensive to build. Vodacom says adding low-earth orbit satellites will speed up coverage expansion and lift performance in rural pockets where signal quality and capacity are poor. For a telco that has publicly set a 2030 target to reach 260 million customers, the partnership is a pragmatic way to extend reach without shouldering the full cost of ground networks.
