African e-commerce platform Jumia has announced an agreement with satellite internet service Starlink to retail the Starlink Residential Kit in Africa.
Described as “pre-connected with everything you need to access the internet”, the kit simply requires download of the Starlink App, and placement of the Starlink, as the satellite dish is known, where it has a clear view of the sky. The user then plugs it in.
With this partnership Jumia says it aims to bridge the digital divide by delivering Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet to previously underserved regions of Africa. The agreement will initially cover Nigeria, with plans for expansion to Kenya, and thereafter to the remaining African countries where Jumia operates.
Jumia’s marketplace is supported by its proprietary logistics business, Jumia Logistics, and its digital payment and fintech platform, JumiaPay. Its parter in this venture, Starlink, is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, and delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more,
Thus, Jumia says its expansive reach, coupled with Starlink’s satellite constellation engineered by parent company SpaceX, can pave the way for millions of Africans to experience the transformative power of high-speed internet.
This deal follows hard on the heels of the announcement by integrated network services company Paratus Group that it has entered an agreement as a distributor for high-speed services across the African continent on behalf of Starlink.
Initially, and with immediate effect, Starlink will be available from Paratus in Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria before being rolled out to more countries.
