Jumia, the African e-commerce platform, has unveiled a groundbreaking partnership with satellite internet provider Starlink to introduce the Starlink Residential Kit in Africa. This innovative kit, designed to seamlessly connect users to the internet, streamlines the process with its pre-configured components, requiring only the download of the Starlink App and strategic placement of the Starlink satellite dish to ensure an unobstructed view of the sky. A simple plug-in is all that remains for users to achieve connectivity.
The primary objective of this collaborative effort is to eradicate the digital divide that has persisted in underserved regions of Africa. Initially launching in Nigeria, this partnership is poised for expansion into Kenya, with plans to eventually encompass all African nations where Jumia maintains its operational presence.
Jumia, known for its robust marketplace, is backed by its proprietary logistics arm, Jumia Logistics, and boasts a digital payment and fintech platform, JumiaPay. Its collaborator in this venture, Starlink, stands as the pioneer and largest satellite constellation in the world, utilizing low Earth orbit technology to deliver high-speed broadband internet capable of supporting activities such as streaming, online gaming, and video calls.
With Jumia’s extensive reach and Starlink’s satellite constellation, engineered under the stewardship of parent company SpaceX, the alliance envisions a future where millions of Africans can harness the transformative potential of high-speed internet.
This development closely follows the recent announcement from integrated network services firm Paratus Group, which disclosed its agreement to act as a distributor for Starlink’s high-speed services across the African continent. Starlink services will be made immediately available through Paratus in Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria, with further expansion into additional countries on the horizon.
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Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard