Amazon’s Project Kuiper and Vanu have struck a new deal to expand high-quality mobile broadband across Southern Africa.
Vanu, the US-based rural connectivity specialist, will integrate Kuiper’s low Earth orbit (LEO) backhaul services into its portfolio, paving the way for expanded mobile broadband coverage across underserved parts of Southern Africa from 2026.
The deal that challenges Starlink’s growing dominance as the LEO satellite rivalry intensifies on the continent was announced at the Africa Tech Summit 2025 in Cape Town this week.
The collaboration also comes at a time when satellite broadband competition in Africa is intensifying.
Crucially, it is part of Project Kuiper’s catch-up efforts against rival SpaceX’s Starlink, which now operates in more than 25 African countries, and further signed a landmark deal with Vodacom this week to “connect Africa with Africa”.
Project Kuiper, which already has over 150 satellites in orbit, has been steadily increasing its footprint on the continent. Its partnerships span major African markets including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Egypt, where it works with operators to provide low-latency satellite backhaul to extend 4G and 5G services.
Vanu on the other hand, founded in 1998 out of MIT research, builds equipment, tools and services that help mobile network operators profitably reach remote communities.
The company, whose technology supports millions of users across Africa, Asia and Latin America, is known for its innovative Coverage as a Service model and its Anywave Base Station, the first FCC-certified software-defined radio that can run multiple cellular standards simultaneously.
Under the new agreement, Vanu will deploy mobile sites powered by Project Kuiper’s satellite links, avoiding the high capital and logistical barriers associated with fibre or microwave backhaul in rural terrain.
Andrew Beard, CEO of Vanu said this will unlock new opportunities for digital education, e-health, commerce and emergency services across Southern Africa as a starting point on the continent.
“We are energised by this opportunity to accelerate our mission. Amazon’s low Earth orbit constellation gives us the scale, reliability, and performance to reach areas that have been technologically excluded for far too long. Together, we can reshape what is possible for rural connectivity in Africa,” he stated.
Chris Weber, vice president of consumer and enterprise for Project Kuiper, hailed the partnership as aligning with Kuiper’s core goal to close global coverage gaps. “Project Kuiper was created to help connect customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks, and our backhaul solutions are an important part of that vision. Vanu has a proven track record connecting some of the hardest-to-reach places on the planet.”
The agreement also signals the continued escalation of the LEO satellite race in Africa. Just days ago, Starlink unveiled a partnership with Vodacom to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband to enterprises and rural areas across the continent.
Starlink, which already serves customers in 150 global markets, including Africa, said the deal would further expand its reach.
By contrast, Project Kuiper is banking on strategic operator partnerships and its expanding constellation to carve out a competitive position. Its collaboration with Vanu aims to show how satellite backhaul can deliver sustainable, repeatable coverage models in even the continent’s hardest-to-reach locations.
Starting in Southern Africa, the companies plan to spread across the continent over the coming years and intensify their involvement in Africa’s space-powered connectivity landscape.
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