Amazon Leo Satellite Service to Enter South Africa in 2027 via Herotel

Amazon’s Leo satellite constellation, a low-Earth orbit (LEO) network, will enter South Africa in 2027 through Herotel, with the service sold to homes under the Evry brand.

Herotel CEO Van Zyl Botha discussed the rollout and how a company without a local licence has entered a market that has kept Starlink out for years.

Botha explained that LEO satellite technology changes the options for anyone living beyond the reach of fibre and fixed-wireless services.

The discussion also covered:

• the likely cost of Evry;
• why market size studies range from 480,000 to 2.4 million potential customers;
• why Herotel is taking registrations for a service that has not launched commercially anywhere;
• whether Evry will cannibalise Herotel’s own fibre and wireless base;
• what Vodacom’s stake in Maziv means for Herotel’s independence;
• why LEO satellites are viable now when the idea is 40 years old.