Vodacom partners with Starlink to expand Africa internet

Vodacom Group, a Johannesburg-based telecommunications giant, led by South African executive Shameel Joosub, has signed an agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bring high-speed, low-latency broadband to businesses across Africa, the telecom company said Wednesday. 

Despite serving more than 223 million customers, Vodacom faces challenges reaching rural areas. Sparse populations, rugged terrain, and low smartphone penetration make traditional tower networks expensive and slow to deploy. 

Vodacom leverages satellites

The company, majority-owned by Britain’s Vodafone, aims to close connectivity gaps using low-earth orbit satellite technology, which can deliver internet access even in hard-to-reach regions. Vodacom will integrate Starlink’s satellites into its mobile network and is authorized to resell Starlink equipment and services to African customers, the company said. 

“We continue working with multiple satellite providers, including Starlink, AST SpaceMobile, and Amazon Kuiper,” Joosub said following Vodacom’s interim results on Monday. Vodacom’s larger competitor, MTN Group, is also exploring satellite partnerships, while Vodafone has teamed up with Amazon’s Project Kuiper and AST SpaceMobile. 

Competition and regional reach

Vodacom operates across several African markets, including Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Even amid currency pressures, the company continues to post steady growth.

For the six months ending September 30, 2025, revenue rose 10.9 percent to R81.58 billion ($4.8 billion), up from R73.54 billion ($4.32 billion) a year earlier.  Joosub, who owns a 0.09 percent stake in Vodacom valued at roughly $15 million, has guided the company through South Africa’s energy and infrastructure challenges while maintaining shareholder returns.

Community investment and legal settlements 

In recent years, Vodacom has increased local investments. Last month, the company committed $29 million to enhance Limpopo’s 5G network, boost connectivity, and support local communities.

This follows a R414 million ($24.3 million) investment last year, bringing total spending in Limpopo’s radio and transmission network to R3.1 billion ($182.2 million) over seven years. Vodacom also recently resolved a long-standing legal dispute with Nkosana Makate, the inventor of the “Please Call Me” service, ending a $1.5 billion standoff.