Jumia to sell Starlink equipment in Africa

SpaceX's satellite Internet service, Starlink, has partnered with African e-commerce company Jumia to sell its Internet equipment for residential use in Africa.

The partnership will see Jumia sell Starlink satellite terminals in selected African nations, beginning with Nigeria in the next few weeks, with plans to subsequently expand to Kenya and from there to other African countries where Jumia operates.

Users in Nigeria will be able to order Starlink satellite terminals and other kit on Jumia's site and get them delivered to their doorsteps through Jumia agents.

"We are thrilled to be the first company on the continent to join forces with Starlink to expand this technology in Africa," said Jumia Group Chief Commercial Officer Hisham ElGabry.

ElGabry said by expanding access to Starlink's Internet service through the Jumia platform, communities can be empowered with high-speed, low-latency Internet access.

The Starlink and Jumia deal comes after telecommunications service provider Paratus signed a reseller distributor deal with Starlink in Africa in September.

Starlink spreading its African wings

Starlink launched in Africa earlier this year with Nigeria receiving its services first. Since then, Starlink has expanded to Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda and Malawi, with more countries expected to join the list in due course.

Users will be able to order Starlink satellite terminals and other kit on Jumia's site and get them delivered to their doorsteps through Jumia agents. (Source: Starlink's website)

According to Starlink's connectivity map, the service is set to launch in a number of African countries in 2023 and 2024, including in Togo, Zambia, Angola, Uganda, Tunisia and Egypt, while a number of other countries have unconfirmed launch windows.

Elon Musk's Internet company is currently obtaining a license in Ghana.

Starlink has, however, faced some regulatory pushback on its adoption, with countries like Senegal and Zimbabwe declaring the sale of its equipment illegal.

It is also not clear if South Africans will have access to Starlink's services in the future.

In April 2023, South Africa's Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Mondli Gungubele, denied claims that the government was blocking Starlink from operating in the country.

He said that Starlink had not applied for a license to operate in South Africa. Currently, Starlink's website says that the "service date is unknown at this time" for South Africa.

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— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa