Amazon brings Alexa+ to Brazil and bets on AI like ChatGPT to renew virtual assistant Amazon announced this Wednesday (15) that it will launch its new satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, in South Africa in 2027. As a result, the company founded by Jeff Bezos should come out ahead of Elon Musk's Starlink in the fight for the market in the most developed economy on the African continent. To make the operation viable, Amazon entered into a partnership with the South African internet provider Herotel. According to the company, this is Amazon Leo's first agreement to offer satellite internet on the African continent. The values ??of the partnership were not disclosed. The announcement comes amid Elon Musk's criticism of the government of South Africa, his country of origin. The billionaire claims that Starlink does not yet operate in the country because local legislation would have prevented the company from obtaining a license because he is white. Musk even accused the South African government of racism. The criticisms refer to the affirmative action policies adopted by South Africa. Under legislation, foreign companies in the telecommunications sector must grant a minority stake in their local operations to black investors or those from other historically disadvantaged groups to obtain operating authorization. The rules were created to expand the non-white population's access to the economy after the end of apartheid, a racial segregation regime that prevailed in the country for decades and concentrated political and economic power in the white minority. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, and co-founder and co-CEO of Prometheus, participates in the 10th edition of the VivaTech startup and technological innovation fair in Paris, France, in June 2026. Abdul Saboor/Reuters In addition to emerging, Amazon has government support Unlike Starlink, Amazon's deal received support from the South African government. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi participated in the announcement alongside representatives from Amazon and Herotel. Amazon began putting its first low-altitude satellites into orbit last year and says it already has more than 390 satellites in operation. Starlink, in turn, began operations in 2019 and currently has more than 10 thousand satellites in orbit. The service is already available in around two dozen African countries, but has not yet been launched in South Africa because Musk's company refuses to meet the requirements of local legislation. Jeff Bezos' company stated that the agreement with South Africa marks the beginning of its expansion across the continent. To this end, it also entered into a partnership with Vanu Inc., a company based in Lexington, in the state of Massachusetts (USA), specialized in mobile internet solutions for developing countries. Africa is considered a promising market for satellite internet services. The continent has more than 1.5 billion inhabitants, many living in rural areas or regions that do not yet have fixed internet infrastructure. Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, has already announced agreements to operate in Thailand, Kazakhstan, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay. Despite Amazon's expansion, Starlink remains far ahead on a global scale. According to the company, its service is now available in more than 160 countries.