African countries are increasingly investing in the space industry, with hopes of benefiting from advancements in agriculture, disaster prevention and security. Ivory Coast recently hosted a “NewSpace Africa” conference organised by the African Union, where it announced plans to build the country’s first nanosatellite by 2024. Kenya’s first working satellite was put into orbit by a SpaceX rocket launched from the United States in April. South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt have already made strides in the industry, with Egypt owning the first African satellite sent into space in 1998. According to AU space programme coordinator Tidiane Ouattara, about 15 African countries have a space agency. The African Space Agency was fostered by the AU in 2018 to promote coordination among its members. Cost is no longer a barrier to entering space, thanks to cheaper components and miniaturisation, which reduces satellite weight. A nanosatellite with a mass of between one and 10 kilos can be built by African universities for between $50,000 and $100,000. Satellites can play a crucial role in Earth observation, monitoring cloud cover, rainfall, flooding and drought. Nearly half of Africa’s population lives from farming, according to UN figures, and the continent accounts for nearly two-thirds of the world’s uncultivated arable land. Satellites can also play a security role, monitoring foreign plundering of coastal fisheries and movements of jihadist rebels destabilising the Sahel and northern Mozambique. Another big market is communications, with Africa’s billion population being voracious digital consumers. According to an AU study published in 2019, the African space market will be worth $20 billion next year. However, foreign providers currently harvest the data bounty, leading some to liken the situation to a rerun of colonial history. Africa’s problems in developing commercial use of space are not just about funding; the continent’s vibrant entrepreneurial culture is being hampered by “hazy or absent regulations”, creating uncertainty for investors.
