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Vodacom Partners with Elon Musk’s Starlink to Expand High-Speed Internet Across Africa

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Vodacom Group (VODJ.J), South Africa’s largest mobile network operator, has signed a landmark partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband to businesses across Africa, the company announced on Wednesday.

The deal aims to bridge one of the continent’s toughest connectivity challenges — extending reliable internet coverage to remote and rural regions where traditional mobile infrastructure remains costly due to sparse populations and difficult terrain.

Vodacom, which serves more than 223 million customers and is majority-owned by Britain’s Vodafone (VOD.L), said it will integrate Starlink’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology into its network to enhance data relay capacity. The agreement also allows Vodacom to resell Starlink’s equipment and services directly to African customers.

“We continue dealing with multiple satellite providers, including Starlink, where Starlink has been licensed, as well as AST SpaceMobile and Amazon Kuiper,” CEO Shameel Joosub told Reuters following the company’s interim results on Monday.

The move underscores a growing trend among African telecom operators to partner with next-generation satellite companies. Rival MTN Group (MTNJ.J) is also exploring similar deals, while Vodafone has already teamed up with Amazon’s Project Kuiper and AST SpaceMobile (ASTS.O) to strengthen its global connectivity footprint.

By leveraging Starlink’s network of thousands of orbiting satellites, Vodacom aims to deliver faster and more reliable broadband to underserved areas — a critical step in Africa’s digital transformation.

AI fintech Optasia to raise $375 million in Johannesburg listing

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AI-driven financial technology company Optasia announced plans to raise up to 6.3 billion rand ($375 million) through a listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The Dubai-based firm said the funds would come from a mix of new shares and a private placement of existing ones.

Optasia, which operates in 38 countries, will raise 1.3 billion rand in its initial public offering and an additional 5 billion rand through existing shareholders. The company is partly owned by Ethos Capital.

CEO Salvador Anglada said the IPO will help Optasia scale operations and “expand financial opportunity where it is needed most.” The fintech provides AI-powered micro-loans and mobile airtime credit to unbanked individuals, processing more than 32 million daily transactions for about 121 million users.

Founded in 2012, Optasia focuses on Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, working with telecom partners such as MTN, Vodacom, and Airtel.