Africa’s 2025 Space Budget Revised to USD 626.69 Million Following New Satellite Investments

The total African space budget for 2025 has been revised upward after additional allocations made during the year increased the continent’s overall spending beyond the amount initially reported.

In Q2 2025, Space in Africa published its annual African space budget report, estimating that governments, institutions, and organisations across the continent had collectively allocated USD 426.31 million for space-related activities. The report is typically released at the start of the year to capture planned investments in satellite programmes, infrastructure, research, and other space activities. This timing coincides with the start of the fiscal year for many countries, ensuring we can account for all countries’ spending.

However, as the year progressed, several supplementary allocations and programme updates emerged, prompting a revision to the continent’s total space spending. With these additional commitments taken into account, the total African space budget for 2025 increased to USD 626.69 million.

A key factor behind the increase was a major satellite procurement programme involving Morocco. In 2024, Morocco signed a USD 1 billion agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries to acquire two Ofek 13 reconnaissance satellite systems intended to replace its existing observation satellites.

In line with our methodology and standard financial operating procedures, specifically the straight-line cost allocation method, which we routinely adopt for projects with known timelines and total costs, we divide the total programme cost by the number of years to derive the exact annual spending for accounting purposes. Accordingly, while the contract is expected to be implemented over approximately five years, this amounts to USD 200 million per year. Separately from this infrastructural project, an estimated USD 2 million is allocated for operational costs in 2025, resulting in an average annual programme cost of roughly USD 202 million.

The revised budget highlights how large infrastructure projects and multi-year satellite programmes can significantly influence Africa’s annual space spending when new allocations are introduced after the initial budget reporting period.