South Africa and the UAE have announced a significant collaboration in satellite development, marking a new chapter of bilateral cooperation. The deal was revealed at the 2025 SAMENA Leaders’ Summit in Dubai. Mondli Gungubele, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation, confirmed the partnership and shared details about the MoU already signed between the two nations.
The collaborative program aims to enhance South Africa’s space technology capabilities through technical and institutional collaboration. The project enjoys robust political backing, underscored by the presence of South Africa’s Vice President at the summit. This collaboration is consistent with both countries’ ambitions to lead in global innovation.
The UAE, known for its rapid technical advancements, hosted the summit with the support of its Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority. Gungubele highlighted the UAE as an example of excellence and expressed tremendous confidence in the collaboration.
South Africa is already active in the space arena, having launched 12 satellites and with more in development. The new National Communication Satellite Strategy contributes to this momentum. Companies like AAC Space Africa and Dragonfly Aerospace are earning international recognition. AAC Space Africa recently received a satellite-building contract worth more than $213,000, indicating increased economic possibilities.
