Space42 Launches Advertising-Funded Satellite Wi-Fi Hotspots in South Africa

The model is built around short video ads. A user who watches a 30-second video gets 20 minutes of internet access and can watch another to stay online. Advertisers cover the cost of the connection, so businesses that host a hotspot can offer free Wi-Fi to the public without paying for it themselves.

For Space42, the launch is a way to earn more from capacity it already has in a market it has served for years. It also fits the company's aim, in the words of an executive, of becoming a global leader in non-terrestrial networks. Satellite connections can reach places where fixed and mobile networks are thin.

New and existing partners can install antennas and routers that connect to the YahClick network and share the connection as Wi-Fi at their sites, including in areas with little public internet access, the company said. Partners earn revenue from their Wi-Fi infrastructure and get reporting tools to track performance. Partners whose equipment is already compatible can add the advertising and analytics features without replacing it.

Advertisers get a direct channel to connected users and data to measure engagement. The company cited a forecast that internet advertising revenue will reach US$3.1 billion, or R55.7 billion, by 2030. The English version of the statement applies that figure to Africa as a whole, while the Arabic version applies it to South Africa.

"Space42's latest Wi-Fi solution aims to support South Africa's digital inclusion priorities," said Elmuiz Saad, senior vice president of commercial at Space42. He said the company's presence in South Africa was built through YahClick and, more recently, Thuraya-4, and that working with local operators shows it where connectivity is needed.

The launch builds on Space42's other work in Africa. Its subsidiary Thuraya began commercial Thuraya-4 satellite services in South Africa in November 2025 for the energy, mining and maritime industries. The company says it has connected more than 1,000 schools and 500 clinics in Zimbabwe and plans to connect another 2,500 schools there. Its Mira Aerospace unit carried out what it describes as the world's first 5G video call from a fixed-wing high-altitude platform station, in Rwanda. With Microsoft and Esri, Space42 is also building a base map of all 54 African countries from satellite imagery and AI analytics under its Map Africa Initiative.

The company did not say how many hotspots it expects to deploy or name any of its launch partners.