E-commerce company Jumia has reached an agreement with low-earth orbit satellite service provider Starlink to sell its internet equipment in Africa, for residential use.

The collaboration will initially cover Nigeria, with terminals being made available this month, with plans to subsequently expand to Kenya, and from there to other African countries where Jumia operates.

With this deal, Jumia has outlined that it wants to help bridge the digital divide by providing customers with access, especially in previously underserved regions of Africa.

Jumia’s group chief commercial officer Hisham El Gabry said: "We are thrilled to be the first company on the continent to join forces with Starlink to expand this groundbreaking technology in Africa.”

The deal, it appears, however is aimed more at consumers than commercial clients. Telecommunications service provider Paratus announced last month that it had also struck a deal with Starlink to sell its services, although the agreement looks to be limited to specific industry offerings to commercial clients.

Effective immediately, Starlink will initially be offered by Paratus in Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria, before being expanded to other countries.

El Gabry added: “By expanding access to Starlink's iInternet service through the Jumia platform, individuals and communities can be empowered with high-speed, low-latency Internet access.”

Jumia said: “The collaboration represents a significant milestone in Africa's digital evolution and underscores Jumia's commitment to spearheading technological advancements on the continent.”

Thanks to its constellation of low-earth orbit satellites, engineered by SpaceX, Starlink can provide internet coverage is areas previously underserved by other forms of connectivity.