African NewSpace Industry Report, 2025 Edition

Space in Africa today released its highly anticipated 2025 African NewSpace Industry Report, the most comprehensive analysis of the continent’s commercial space industry to date. The report reveals that African NewSpace companies collectively generated USD 373.35 million in revenue in 2024, with over 300 active enterprises now operating across 36 countries, and over 800 times growth in mapped companies since 2020.

The report comprehensively analyses 321 operationally active commercial space companies distributed across five regional blocs, offering unprecedented insights into market segmentation, workforce distribution, operational models, geographical patterns, funding structures, and future industry outlooks. Companies operate across six primary industry segments: satellite communications, Earth observation, satellite component manufacturing, astronomy, capacity development, and satellite navigation, with Earth observation, satellite communications, and component manufacturing emerging as the dominant revenue contributors. The sector is projected to reach USD 580 million by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 7.7% from the 2024 baseline.

The defining evolutionary trend across all NewSpace segments is the migration from selling raw capacity, bandwidth, components, or imagery to delivering Integrated-as-a-Service (XaaS) solutions. Success is measured not by hardware ownership but by proprietary software and analytics platforms that fuse space data with terrestrial intelligence to solve acute development challenges in sectors such as agriculture, logistics, and digital finance.

Key Findings

• Ecosystem Expansion: From 34 profiled companies in 2020 to 321 active enterprises in 2025, reflecting both genuine ecosystem growth and improved documentation of previously unrecorded ventures.
• Geographic Distribution: Three regions – Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa – collectively account for 82.3% of all mapped companies, while Northern and Central Africa account for 17.7%.
• Revenue Leadership: Earth observation (EO), satellite communications (Satcom), and satellite component manufacturing dominate the revenue landscape, driving the sector’s USD 373.35 million collective performance in 2024.
• Business Model Evolution: A fundamental shift from hardware-centric operations to software-driven, analytics-powered service delivery platforms addressing critical development challenges.

The report provides detailed intelligence across five comprehensive sections: the evolving NewSpace landscape with industry growth trajectories and segment analysis; financial landscapes and policy dynamics, including funding mechanisms and regulatory environments; sector-specific analysis covering Earth observation, manufacturing, satellite communications, and emerging technologies; future outlook and opportunities; and critical industry enablers, including talent and workforce development.

Beyond mapping the present landscape, the 2025 report examines ownership patterns, capital structures, techno-economic imperatives, and the regulatory frameworks shaping competitive positioning across Africa’s space economy. Each major segment receives granular analysis, revealing both established opportunities and nascent markets positioned for exponential growth.

By synthesising insights across financial landscapes, policy environments, technological capabilities, and human capital dynamics, this comprehensive analysis equips stakeholders, from investors and entrepreneurs to policymakers and development partners, with the strategic intelligence necessary to navigate Africa’s NewSpace sector, identify high-potential opportunities, and understand the structural forces shaping the industry’s trajectory through the coming decade.

Discover the full insights and purchase the report here.

About Space in Africa

Space in Africa is a boutique consulting and media firm dedicated to providing data-driven insights, market intelligence, and strategic advisory services to businesses and decision-makers in the African space industry. Through rigorous research and transparent methodologies, Space in Africa enables stakeholders to make informed decisions and succeed in Africa’s rapidly growing space sector. The firm’s reports have become the foundation for global discussions on African space capabilities and are trusted by satellite manufacturers, institutional investors, government agencies, and international organisations worldwide.