March 2024 ushered in a new era of Africa’s relationship with the space domain. Spotlight Africa’s ability to realize the national security, communications, development, and disaster mitigation benefits from satellites and other space technology relies on optimizing opportunities for collaboration. For much of the continent, the importance of space has often been invisible, embedded in the tools and services that citizens use daily without realizing they rely on satellites orbiting thousands of kilometers above Earth.
Kenya stands at the forefront of a new era in global space exploration, leveraging its equatorial advantage, storied legacy and bold vision to become a hub for scientific innovation, international collaboration, and sustainable development. The Luigi Broglio Malindi Space Center embodies this transformative potential, revealing not only a proud history of launching satellites but also a dynamic roadmap for addressing global challenges like climate change and fostering economic opportunities through space technology.
North Africa and Europe seen from the International Space Station. (Photo: Kate Rubins/NASA)
The Strategic Importance of Space Assets
From the broadcasting of television programs to navigation systems on smartphones and the expansion of rural broadband access, satellites have already become an integral part of African life. Beyond these familiar applications, space technologies are also being used for border surveillance, maritime monitoring, resource management, and wildlife protection-functions that directly impact national sovereignty, security, and sustainable development.
This duality explains why governments across Africa are increasingly prioritizing investments in space infrastructure, even as they grapple with the challenges of balancing ambitious national programs with limited budgets and pressing domestic needs. The security dimension of space technologies is increasingly evident in Africa’s policy priorities.
Border management, for example, is a challenge for many African governments, given porous frontiers and the presence of transnational threats such as terrorism, smuggling, and human trafficking. Satellites allow governments to monitor remote and difficult-to-access regions, complementing ground patrols with a bird’s-eye view of activity across vast terrains. Similarly, maritime surveillance satellites play an important role in securing Africa’s exclusive economic zones, where illegal fishing and piracy have drained billions of dollars from national economies.
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For resource-rich countries, satellites provide another form of protection, enabling governments to monitor illegal mining, logging, and oil exploitation in real time. Equally significant is the application of tracking technologies to wildlife conservation, where African countries are using satellite-enabled collars and geospatial data to combat poaching and monitor migration patterns of endangered species. The common thread in these examples is that space assets are not abstract symbols of technological prestige, but concrete instruments of sovereignty and security. Space assets are not abstract symbols of technological prestige, but concrete instruments of sovereignty and security.
Space is rapidly emerging as a strategic frontier for African countries given its concrete contributions to national security, socioeconomic development, and resilience against transnational threats.
Inside Africa’s Secret Space Race: Why These Countries Are Launching Satellites
Multidimensional Applications of Space Technologies
Beyond security, African governments are turning to space to power the continent’s socioeconomic transformation. Communication satellites are expanding internet access to rural communities that fiber-optic networks cannot reach. This is helping bridge the digital divide that continues to separate much of Africa from the global information economy. The impact is far reaching.
Rural schools can access online learning platforms, health workers can deliver telemedicine services, and entrepreneurs can connect to new markets. Broadcasting satellites, similarly, continue to play a central role in the daily lives of millions, powering platforms such as Digital Satellite Television (DStv) and Canal+ that have become household names across the continent. These industries, built on space infrastructure, are not only sources of information and entertainment but also major employers and contributors to national GDP.
A photo showing wind erosion in the Sahara desert, taken from space. (Photo: Thomas Pesquet/NASA)
Satellites provide data on rainfall patterns, soil quality, crop health, and pest infestations, enabling farmers to make informed decisions that increase yields and reduce losses. In countries where agriculture is both a livelihood and a matter of food security, these applications are nothing short of transformative. Likewise, satellites support marine science efforts to monitor ocean currents, fisheries, and coastal erosion, offering data that helps both governments and communities manage fragile ecosystems and economic opportunities.
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Urban planners are turning to geospatial technologies to design smarter, more resilient cities, particularly in regions facing rapid population growth and unplanned urbanization. Weather and climate studies represent another frontier, as satellites provide early warnings of floods, droughts, and cyclones. Given that Africa is among the regions most vulnerable to extreme weather, these applications are critical for building adaptive capacity and reducing disaster risk.
Africa's Historical Engagement with Space
Africa’s engagement with space is particularly fascinating given its rich historical lineage. Long before the launch of modern satellites, astronomy was deeply intertwined with African societies, guiding farming cycles, navigation, and cultural practices. Egypt’s Nabta Playa, believed to be the world’s oldest astronomical site, testifies to the continent’s ancient relationship with the stars. and Soviet missions, playing a quiet but important role in global space exploration.
Kenya Space Agency engineers hold their prototype Taifa-1 satellite. (Photo: Simon Maina/AFP)
Today, this legacy continues with the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) partnering with South Africa’s National Space Agency (SANSA) to host lunar exploration ground stations in support of the Artemis program, which aims to establish a long-term presence on the Moon and prepare for human missions to Mars. These partnerships underscore the continent’s longstanding but often underappreciated contributions to space exploration.
Kenya Space Agency: Driving Space Sector Growth
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) was established in 2017 under the Kenya Space Agency Act, with operations commencing in 2018. Its mandate is to develop and promote the use of space science and technology for national development. The KSA coordinates space activities, fosters research and innovation, oversees satellite development, and builds local capacity through training. Additionally, it raises public awareness of space science, establishes international partnerships, and regulates space activities to ensure safety and compliance.
Kenya’s equatorial vantage point is a launchpad for a future defined by innovation and collaboration. The Luigi Broglio Malindi Space Center is not just a facility-it is a symbol of what nations can achieve together. The world should take note: Kenya is not just reaching for the stars-it is shaping the future from the equator.
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The African Space Agency: A Continental Framework
The African Space Agency (AfSA) in Cairo represents another milestone, offering a continental framework for aligning space programs, providing policy coordination, reducing duplication, and fostering shared access to infrastructure and data. The African Space Agency was officially inaugurated in Cairo’s Space City in April 2025. The event marked a milestone in a process that had been in the works since the early 2000s.
Drawing inspiration from the European Space Agency, it unites African Union (AU) member states to harness space technology for development. Over 20 African countries operate space programmes and more than 65 African satellites have been launched. It is my view as a global space diplomacy expert that the agency can help ensure that Africa isn’t a bystander in the space economy.
Functions and Objectives of the African Space Agency
The space agency positions Africa to address pressing challenges and take advantage of opportunities in the global space economy. These include using satellite data, boosting connectivity, driving economic growth, fostering global partnerships and training future leaders. Space assets, particularly Earth observation satellites, offer a number of advantages. The continent faces significant climate risks like droughts, fires and floods.
Satellite data optimises crop yields, supports climate-resilient farming, and enhances sustainable fisheries and port modernisation. Beyond agriculture, satellites assist in project planning in cities across Africa. Satellites also keep an eye on Africa’s resource-abundant territories while tackling problems like armed conflict, deforestation, and illegal migration and mining.
The African Space Agency will help provide access to AI-enhanced satellite data. This will enable even nations with constrained resources to tackle local needs. By making it easier to share data, the African Space Agency also positions the continent to generate revenue in the global space data market.
The African Space Agency aims to bridge this gap through satellite-based communications. This technology can deliver broadband to remote regions where cell towers and undersea cables are impractical. Satellite services, like those provided by SpaceX’s Starlink in 21 African countries, will drive digital inclusion.
The African Space Agency is also positioning Africa to embrace new space technologies. Examples include Japan’s 2025 demonstration of beaming solar power from space, following a US achievement in 2023. This could revolutionise energy access. Space-based solar power captures solar energy in orbit via satellite and transmits it as microwaves to Earth. This offers a solution to Africa’s energy poverty. It could provide reliable power to remote areas without extensive grid infrastructure.
Collaboration and Capacity Building
Coordination, capacity building, and continental institutions such as the AfSA will be central to avoiding fragmented investments and ensuring that space becomes a driver of integration rather than duplication. Egypt has demonstrated what collaborative efforts can achieve through initiatives such as the African Development Satellite Initiative (AfDev-Sat), which has trained 71 engineers from 34 African countries and opened its satellite assembly, integration, and testing facilities to continental partners.
Africa’s space sector relies on partnerships with space agencies and commercial space companies based in the “space powers”. These include the US, Russia, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. These institutions provide launch services, satellite development and ground stations.
An example is Senegal’s GaindeSAT-1A, a CubeSat launched in 2024 via America’s SpaceX with French collaboration. Meanwhile, countries like South Africa are exploring local rocket programmes to enhance the agency’s self-reliance.
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