Beyond the Satellites: A Ground-Level View of an African Tech Rollout
Let’s be honest, it’s easy to get swept up in the spectacle of it all. Rockets launching, satellites twinkling in the night sky, and the grand promise of beaming internet down from the heavens. It’s a fantastic story. But as an investor, I’ve always found that the most compelling opportunities are rarely the ones in the spotlight. While everyone else is looking up, I think the smarter money is looking down, at the mud, concrete, and fibre optic cables.
The plan to bring Starlink’s satellite internet to South Africa is a perfect example. The headlines will focus on Elon Musk and his constellation of space hardware. To me, that’s just the flashy storefront. The real business, the engine room of this entire operation, is happening firmly on the ground.