Zimbabwe is making a bold push into space-based telecoms, seeking more than US$200 million in investment to develop a new telecommunications satellite that could transform connectivity and digital infrastructure across the country and region. Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube said the project is central to the government’s plans to boost its digital economy and support sectors like business process outsourcing (BPO).
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Speaking at a recent launch of the Business and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (BKPO) operational framework in Harare, Prof Ncube said Zimbabwe’s earlier ventures into space technology, including the launch of its first satellite in 2022 and a second satellite in 2024 — have laid a foundation for more ambitious projects. He told reporters:
“The success of the BKPO industry also relies on a strong ICT infrastructure and connectivity. Our project of launching a communication satellite is a part of this. It will improve our connectivity and strengthen our ICT infrastructure.”
The planned satellite is expected to boost internet and telecommunications coverage, particularly in underserved and rural areas where traditional broadband rollout remains costly and difficult. With internet penetration projected to rise above 75 percent and more than 14.5 million mobile data subscriptions nationwide, officials say space-based connectivity is a crucial next step.
Zimbabwe already ranks among a small group of African nations with satellites in orbit. The first, ZimSat‑1, was launched from the International Space Station in November 2022, while ZimSat‑2, developed with Russian partners, followed in 2024, primarily for earth observation and data collection that supports agriculture, environmental monitoring and natural resource management.
Unlike these earlier satellites, the planned telecom platform will focus on communications and potentially open up new revenue streams from services such as satellite broadband, TV distribution and enterprise connectivity. That opportunity has prompted government officials to court private capital and technical partnerships, recognising that space infrastructure is expensive and complex.
In recent years, Zimbabwe has also seen market competition and innovation in satellite services on the ground. For example, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service officially launched in the country in 2024, offering unlimited, high‑speed connectivity that has already influenced pricing and availability of broadband services.
For investors and technologists, Zimbabwe’s satellite ambitions represent both a strategic infrastructure play and a long‑term bet on closing the digital divide that hinders economic development. As Prof Ncube put it, the challenge now is to turn that vision, and the need for capital, into a concrete partnership that yields both societal and financial returns.
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