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Herotel CEO Van Zyl Botha on beating Starlink to South Africa

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Amazon’s Leo satellite constellation is coming to South Africa in 2027 through Herotel. TechCentral deputy editor Fanie van Rooyen speaks to Herotel CEO Van Zyl Botha about Evry, the brand that will sell Amazon Leo to South African homes, and about how a company with no local licence walked into a market that has kept Starlink out for years.
Botha explains why low-Earth orbit satellite technology changes the equation for anyone living beyond the reach of fibre and fixed-wireless services.
He addresses the awkward questions directly:
• How does Amazon get in without giving up 30%?
• Does a wholesale-retail split leave anything behind in the country?
• Would he sign the same deal with Starlink tomorrow?
• What about the regulatory asymmetry?
Also covered: what Evry is likely to cost; why studies on the market’s size range from 480 000 to 2.4 million potential customers; why Herotel is taking registrations for a service that has not launched commercially anywhere; whether Evry will cannibalise Herotel’s own fibre and wireless base; what Vodacom’s stake in Maziv means for Herotel’s independence; and why LEO satellites are viable now when the idea is 40 years old.
Don’t miss the discussion!
14 Aug 5AM English South Africa Technology · Business

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