By BlueShift | 2025-01-14

The quest for sustainable launch sites has turned attention to Africa as a new hub for the space industry.

Africa's space industry was valued at $22.64 billion in 2024, up from $19.5 billion in 2021, according to Space in Africa's African Space Annual Industry Report.

The industry is expected to experience substantial growth over the next two years due to an increasing focus on its potential in future satellite manufacturing and launch.

Satellite and space launches need to occur in locations far enough away from densely populated areas to avoid risks from explosions and falling debris. Regions affected by rising sea levels and flooding also are less than ideal for launches.

With broad swathes of remote areas under clear skies, African nations have posited themselves as ideal partners for satellite launches by commercial and foreign government actors alike.

In addition, with what is known as "the slingshot effect," the velocity of Earth's rotation at the equator provides space launches with a speed boost, reducing propellant needs.

Encouraging African space cooperation

The African Union in 2018 fostered the African Space Agency (AfSA) as the primary coordinating body for African space cooperation.

The African Union Commission will officially inaugurate AfSA during the 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference in Cairo in April.

After its inauguration, AfSA will be the primary point of contact for the continent's cooperation with international partners.

AfSA promotes the space ambitions of nations across the continent and oversees engagements with international partners. Its six-year plan and $35 million budget lay out ambitious goals.

About 15 African countries have a space agency, according to AfSA President Tidiane Ouattara.

Ouattara emphasized the importance of international collaboration in an interview with Afrik21 in November 2023.

"By its very nature, no one can go into space alone, because it's a vast and complex field, with so many issues at stake," he said. "Africa, which has only recently entered the space sector, cannot repeat the same mistakes it has made in other fields in the past. We need to be inspired by the success stories of others."

"In this context, it is essential to develop local capacities," he continued. "The contribution of private investors will be decisive in achieving our objectives."

"In Africa, the private sector is just emerging in the space sector. It will need to be structured, and ecosystems will need to be put in place to encourage the growth of these companies."

Unlocking potential

An innovative space industry offers distinct benefits to Africa.

Since it is home to some of the countries most vulnerable to rising temperatures and sea level changes, satellite monitoring of desertification and water quality is key to measuring and managing risks.

Further, satellites offer the opportunity to close the "digital divide," the gap between those with access to technology and those lacking it. Expanding satellite coverage enhances connectivity.

While the number of Africans with broadband access more than tripled between 2012 and 2022 -- surging from 114 million to almost 400 million -- this means that only 36% of the population has broadband access, the World Bank Group estimates.

A 2021 report by the World Economic Forum estimated that better data from satellites could unlock more than $2 billion in economic potential for Africa.

Satellite monitoring can track illegal fishing, timber and mining operations that eat into licit revenues and reduce safe employment opportunities for local populations.

Illicit mining operations have been known to raze forests and contaminate water sources, damaging local ecosystems and contributing to the spread of infectious diseases.

"In 2016 alone, an estimated $2.3 billion worth of gold left the shores of Ghana through galamsey [illegal mining]," the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime said in 2017.

Illegal gold mines alone were responsible for the loss of more than 1% of Ghana's forests, and the country's Western Region (which is in southern Ghana) had to spend more than $250 million to restore land and water resources decimated by illegal mining, 2016 studies found.

Accurate weather forecasts provided by advanced satellite data also provide immense promise to local farmers.

Enabling agricultural operations to keep tabs on crop development, weather trends and water availability can bolster crop outputs, both feeding and providing revenue to local populations.

"It's about better accessibility to high quality data that can provide valuable insights in different areas," Nigerian space scientist Temidayo Oniosun, the managing director of Space in Africa, told CNN last July. "And then applications upon this data that can actually address critical problems on the continent."

The expanding space industry also offers high-tech employment opportunities for Africa's young, growing and tech-savvy population.

"The young people, they're willing to be in this space era," said Ouattara, according to CNN. "But we have to build strong curricula and once [they're] trained, to use them properly, to create opportunities to employ them."