Closing Day of the 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference: Excerpts

The 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference has marked a key moment in Africa’s space journey, beginning with the landmark inauguration of the African Space Agency (AfSA) that set the stage for all subsequent discussions. Over four dynamic days, more than 550 delegates representing over 300 institutions from 65 countries engaged in robust exchanges, sharing lived experiences and strategic insights to drive the continent’s space sector forward. This gathering has created a vital platform for Africa to accelerate its space capabilities while ensuring efficient resource allocation across the entire industry value chain.

The conference exhibition emerged as a vibrant hub of innovation and collaboration, featuring 36 leading global institutions that showcased the cutting edge of space technology. Visitors explored groundbreaking advancements across satellite communications, Earth observation systems, navigation technologies, and space-based connectivity solutions. Beyond mere product displays, the exhibition floor buzzed with strategic deal-making as industry professionals, government representatives, and investors forged new partnerships. The exhibition, which included B2B/B2G meetings, catalysed tangible business opportunities, with participants engaging in hands-on demonstrations of next-generation technologies while exploring collaborative ventures that promise to shape Africa’s and the global space economy.

Several critical themes emerged from the intensive discussions. 

• First and foremost, the African Space Agency has been universally recognised as the essential coordinating body to harmonise the continent’s space ambitions. 
• Delegates emphasised the urgent need for cohesive policies to prevent duplication of efforts while maximising the impact of limited resources. 
• The private sector’s role as a growth engine came into sharp focus, with numerous commitments made toward local capacity building and technology transfer. 
• Regulatory innovation emerged as another priority, with widespread calls for adaptive frameworks that can accommodate rapid technological changes without compromising safety or sustainability.

Perhaps most significantly, the conference demonstrated Africa’s determination to transition from being a passive consumer to an active shaper of space technology. The discussions revealed a continent ready to claim its place in the global space community, not through imitation but through innovative approaches tailored to Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities. 

Key Takeaways from Day Four of the Conference

National Space Programme Updates from Djibouti, Mauritius, Senegal, Tanzania, and Tunisia  

The conference’s final day opened with a critical session on the progress of national space programmes across five African nations. Moderated by Prof Abel Ramoelo, the Earth Observation Programme Executive Director at South Africa’s National Space Agency (SANSA), the panel provided a comprehensive look at how these countries are advancing their space capabilities to address local and regional challenges.  

Maram Kaire, Director-General of the Senegalese Agency for Space Studies, highlighted Senegal’s strides in Earth Observation (EO) and satellite technology. Mr Kaire emphasised Senegal’s commitment to capacity-building, with plans to continue engaging the youth to train the next generation of African space professionals. “Our vision is not just to launch satellites but to create a self-sustaining space economy that benefits farmers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs,” he stated.  

The panellists included Maram Kaire, Director-General, Senegalese Agency for Space Studies; Nizar Tabia, Technical Director, National Centre for Cartography & Remote Sensing, Tunisia; Florent Morice Mtuka, Assistant Director, Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, Tanzania; Mr Hassan Aboubakar, Secretary General, Djibouti Ministry of Higher Education and Research; and Soreefan Ziyaad, Research Engineer, Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC).

Key Insights from the panel   

• Collaboration is Critical – All five nations are actively pursuing international and intra-African partnerships to accelerate their space programmes.  
• Local Solutions for Local Challenges – From agriculture to maritime security, each country is tailoring space applications to its unique needs.  
• Policy Momentum – National space policies and regulatory frameworks are being fast-tracked to attract investment and ensure sustainability.  
• Human Capital Development – Training programs and academic partnerships are central to building long-term expertise.  

Following this, Dr Meryem Guennoun of Cadi Ayyad University’s Laboratory of High Energy Physics and Astronomy (Morocco) delivered a compelling keynote on the state of African astronomy, highlighting its scientific achievements, infrastructure growth, and untapped economic potential. She provided a comprehensive overview of emerging trends, emphasising the continent’s growing role in global astronomical research. Her talk underscored significant infrastructural developments, such as the expansion of observatories and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, which are positioning Africa as a key player in the field. 

Additionally, Dr Guennoun shed light on capacity-building initiatives to nurture local talent, including training programmes, collaborations with international institutions, and efforts to increase participation among women and underrepresented groups. These initiatives, she argued, are critical for creating a sustainable and inclusive astronomy community across the continent.  

Beyond scientific progress, Dr Guennoun also explored strategies to leverage astronomy for economic benefit. She discussed innovative plans to commercialise astronomy-related products and services, such as data analytics, astrotourism, and educational outreach programmes, which could open new revenue streams.

The next keynote presentation was delivered by Abbass Karim, Founder and CEO of Fluid Codes, who explored the transformative role of engineering simulation in advancing the new space economy. He emphasised how cutting-edge simulation tools, such as those offered by ANSYS, are enabling faster, more cost-effective spacecraft design, propulsion optimisation, and structural integrity testing. By leveraging high-fidelity modelling and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), companies can significantly reduce physical prototyping risks and accelerate innovation in satellite deployment, launch vehicle development, and space habitat design. Karim highlighted real-world case studies where simulation has been instrumental in solving complex aerospace challenges, demonstrating how these technologies are reshaping the future of space exploration and commercialisation.  

Following the keynote presentation came another panel, titled “Egyptian Commercial Space Ecosystem: Stakeholders’ Perspective.” Moderated by Dr Haitham Akah, Senior Director of Space System Development at the Egyptian Space Agency, the session convened key industry, finance, and technology stakeholders to dissect Egypt’s evolving space landscape. Panellists examined the country’s progress in satellite development, Earth observation, and space policy, while also addressing how Egypt’s growing capabilities can catalyse Africa’s broader space agenda, from enhancing telecommunications to strengthening climate resilience through geospatial data.  

The discussion centred on the transformative impact of space technologies across critical sectors such as cybersecurity, digital transformation, and financial services, showcasing how space-based innovations are reshaping industries beyond aerospace. Eng. Mamdouh Ali, Imagery & Remote Sensing Consultant at ESRI, highlighted the role of satellite data in urban planning and agriculture, while Medhat Mahmoud, Chief Digital Transformation Officer for Public Services at Huawei Northern Africa, emphasised the convergence of space tech with next-gen telecom infrastructure like 5G and Iot. Meanwhile, Mr Hany Farahat of Banque Misr provided insights into how financial institutions can support space startups and promote public-private partnerships. 

From climate change and food security to rapid urbanisation and disaster resilience, Africa’s most pressing challenges are increasingly being addressed through cutting-edge Earth Observation (EO) technologies. The next panel was transformative, moderated by Hamdi Kacem, Team Leader of the GMES and Africa Support Programme (Phase II), and explored how satellite data and geospatial analytics are revolutionising environmental monitoring, agricultural productivity, and disaster preparedness across the continent. 

The panel examined the future of EO in Africa, with experts emphasising the need for localised solutions, capacity building, and public-private partnerships to scale impact. Dr Yaya Sylla, Chairman and CEO of SaH Analytics International, stressed the importance of integrating EO data with AI and machine learning for predictive analytics, while Dr Ousmane Ndiaye of ACMAD highlighted how meteorological satellites are improving early warning systems for extreme weather events. Meanwhile, Professor Danielle Wood from MIT highlighted real-world applications like Angola’s Drought Decision Support System, set to launch in June 2025, which leverages satellite technology to monitor drought conditions, a model being replicated in Ghana to enhance climate resilience. 

The event’s final panel, “Africa’s Gateway to Space: Exploring Opportunities in Spaceport Development,” examined the continent’s untapped potential as a hub for launch services, leveraging its geographic and economic advantages. Moderated by Samuel Nyangi, Analyst at Space in Africa, the discussion brought together leading experts to assess how Africa’s equatorial proximity, ideal for fuel-efficient launches, and vast, low-population coastal regions could position it as a competitive player in the global space economy. Brigadier Hillary Kipkosgey, Acting Director-General of the Kenya Space Agency (KSA), highlighted Kenya’s ongoing spaceport feasibility studies and stakeholders’ engagement, emphasising its strategic location near the equator and existing satellite tracking infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Prof. Jean Pitot of South Africa’s Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI) shared insights from the continent’s most advanced aerospace ecosystem, stressing the need for homegrown engineering expertise to reduce reliance on foreign partners. Mohamed A. Ismail, Somalia’s Director of Space and Satellite Technology, outlined his country’s ambitions to develop launch infrastructure, citing its long coastline and stable orbital trajectories as key assets. 

Beyond infrastructure, James Barrington-Brown, Founder and Global Chairman of NewSpace Systems, and other panellists explored the broader socioeconomic impact of spaceport development, from high-tech job creation to promoting ancillary industries like advanced manufacturing and logistics. Discussions also addressed critical challenges, including regulatory harmonisation across African nations, environmental safeguards for launch sites, and the importance of public-private partnerships to secure investment. Panellists agreed that while the path forward requires collaboration with established spacefaring nations, Africa must prioritise local capacity building to ensure long-term sustainability.

Closing the 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference, Dr Temidayo Oniosun, Managing Director of Space in Africa, delivered heartfelt closing remarks, expressing deep appreciation to all stakeholders who made the event a resounding success. He extended special thanks to the Egyptian Government, African Space Agency (AfSA) and Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) as key implementing partners, alongside sponsors, exhibitors, delegates, and attendees whose collective engagement enriched the discussions. Reflecting on the conference’s outcomes, Dr Oniosun emphasised that the real work begins now, translating dialogue into action. He urged government representatives, policymakers, and commercial space actors to return home with actionable insights and best practices, accelerating Africa’s efforts to build robust space ecosystems. “The time for implementation is here,” he declared, calling for unified collaboration to ensure Africa swiftly develops all foundational pillars, from infrastructure to regulation, and claims its rightful place as a dynamic participant in the global space arena.