Szia,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Nigeria approves two new satellites
- Malawi moves to cut smartphone taxes
- Kenya introduces KSh 15M data centre licence
Nigeria approves two new satellites
Nigeria is moving to strengthen its homegrown satellite infrastructure after the Federal Executive Council approved the acquisition and deployment of two new high-throughput communication satellites, NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B. The approval, disclosed on August 22, 2026, moves the project into its next implementation phase and is expected to expand Nigeria’s satellite capacity while reducing its reliance on foreign infrastructure. The satellites are being positioned as part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure and make more communications capacity available locally.
The bigger issue here is that Nigeria’s digital economy is increasingly dependent on infrastructure it does not own. Satellite connectivity has become particularly visible since Starlink entered the Nigerian market, with the service growing into one of the country’s largest ISPs. That has been useful for connecting places where fibre and terrestrial networks struggle, but it also highlights the gap between Nigeria’s demand for connectivity and the capacity of its own satellite infrastructure. The government now wants NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B to help close some of that gap rather than leaving the country increasingly dependent on overseas satellite operators.
Nigeria’s existing NIGCOMSAT-1R was launched in December 2011 and has been providing communications services for more than a decade. But its original design life was about 15 years, meaning the country has been approaching the point where replacement capacity becomes increasingly important. The planned 2A and 2B satellites therefore aren’t simply about adding more bandwidth; they are also about giving Nigeria a next-generation replacement and additional capacity as demand for broadband, broadcasting, government communications and other digital services continues to grow.
And this comes at an interesting time for Nigeria’s broader digital-infrastructure push. The government says it has invested more than ₦3.8 trillion in IT infrastructure since 2023, while policies around data localisation are also pushing more digital infrastructure and services into Nigeria. At the same time, satellite operators such as Starlink are demonstrating how quickly private companies can deploy alternative connectivity infrastructure when terrestrial networks fall short. The challenge for NIGCOMSAT will therefore be less about simply putting two satellites into orbit and more about whether Nigeria can turn them into commercially useful infrastructure that attracts customers, generates revenue and competes effectively.
That is ultimately what will determine whether this becomes a meaningful sovereignty story or just another government infrastructure project. Owning satellites gives Nigeria more control over critical communications capacity, but the satellites still need to be well managed, commercially viable and connected to the rest of the country’s broadband ecosystem. If NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B can provide reliable, affordable capacity to telecom operators, government agencies, businesses and underserved communities, they could reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign infrastructure while creating a stronger domestic space and communications industry. But the real test begins after approval: getting the satellites built, launched, operational and, crucially, used at scale.
Malawi moves to cut smartphone taxes
Malawi is looking at cutting taxes on smartphones and Internet services as it tries to get more people online. Speaking at the GSMA Digital Africa Summit in Lilongwe on August 21, 2026, Information and Communications Technology Minister Shadric Namalomba called for the removal of the country’s 10% surtax on Internet services and a review of the 17.5% VAT on smartphones. The argument is simple: Malawi can keep building telecom infrastructure, but if people cannot afford the phones or data needed to use it, those networks will not solve the country’s digital divide.
The scale of that problem is pretty stark. Only about 12.5% of Malawi’s population currently uses mobile Internet, and the government wants to push that to at least 30% by 2030. Namalomba warned that conversations about AI and other emerging technologies will remain out of reach for most Malawians if basic internet access is still a problem. The GSMA has similarly identified affordability as one of the biggest barriers to getting Africans online, noting that 63% of Africans remain offline despite mobile broadband coverage reaching most of the continent.
That is why the government is increasingly looking beyond towers and fibre. The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) says it is exploring ways to use the Universal Service Fund to subsidise smartphones and other consumer devices, alongside digital-literacy programmes. Proposed initiatives include Connect a School and a “one tablet, one student” programme. The thinking is that getting devices into people’s hands could be just as important as expanding network coverage, especially for students and low-income households.
The push also comes after Malawi spent years focusing heavily on network expansion without seeing internet adoption rise at the same pace. In July 2026, the government was already considering bringing in more mobile operators to increase competition and lower the cost of digital services, while MACRA had ordered Airtel Malawi and TNM to compensate customers after they implemented revised tariffs without meeting the required notice period. The government has also cited a 50% reduction in spectrum licence fees and the $150 million Digital Malawi Acceleration Project as part of its efforts to make connectivity cheaper and more accessible.
The bigger lesson for Malawi is that coverage alone doesn’t equal connectivity. A person can live under a 4G or 5G signal and still effectively be offline if a smartphone costs too much, data is unaffordable, or they lack the skills to use digital services. There is evidence that tax policy can make a difference: South Africa removed its 9% excise duty on smartphones costing below R2,500 in 2025, while the GSMA says targeted tax reforms can encourage people to move from basic phones to smartphones. For Malawi, reducing the tax burden could therefore be less about giving up government revenue and more about getting millions more people into the digital economy.
Kenya introduces KSh 15M data centre licence
Kenya has introduced a new licensing framework for data centres, and the headline number is KSh 15 million. Under the revised telecommunications market structure published by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) in June 2026, data centres now fall under Network Facilities Provider Tier 1 (NFP-T1) and Tier 2 (NFP-T2) licences. For operators, this means data centres are no longer simply being treated as another neutral technology service; the government is recognising them as critical infrastructure that needs its own regulatory framework.
The change makes sense when you consider how much Kenya now depends on data centres. These facilities sit behind everything from financial services and government platforms to cloud computing and digital businesses. A disruption can quickly become a national problem. That became very real in June 2026, when a power outage at Huduma Kenya’s data centre brought government services to a halt. The incident reinforced the CA’s argument that data centre operators have significant influence over access to important digital services and therefore need to be properly regulated.
Kenya didn’t arrive at these rules overnight. The CA had already been consulting on the issue, including through a 2024 consultation paper that proposed bringing certain data-centre arrangements into the licensing framework and regulating them similarly to communications infrastructure providers. The revised structure was subsequently gazetted in March 2026, with the new framework taking effect 30 days after publication. Data centres that were initially proposed for a separate NFP-T3 category were eventually placed under the higher NFP-T1 and NFP-T2 infrastructure tiers.
The two categories matter because they are designed for very different types of operators. NFP-T2 is essentially the more straightforward route for dedicated data centre operators: the initial licence costs KSh 15 million, the annual operating fee, is 0.4% of gross turnover, or KSh 800,000, whichever is higher, and infrastructure can be rolled out progressively across counties. NFP-T1, meanwhile, is aimed at larger integrated operators with nationwide infrastructure; it costs KSh 15 million for 15 years or KSh 45 million for a 25-year licence, with a minimum annual operating fee of KES 4 million.
The bigger story is that Kenya is trying to position itself as a serious African data and cloud hub just as demand for computing infrastructure is exploding. The country currently has 19 data centres, 15 in Nairobi and four in Mombasa, with total market capacity estimated at 15 MW in 2025 and projected to reach 25 MW by 2030. Kenya’s submarine-cable landing points and satellite infrastructure make it attractive to data-centre investors, but there is still a major problem: electricity. So the new licence framework may give investors more regulatory certainty, but Kenya will still have to solve the power question if it wants to capture the next wave of AI, cloud, and data-centre.
In case you missed them
- MTN Nigeria’s enterprise customers are shrinking just as it bets its next decade on them
- MTN at 25: How much has Nigeria changed with it?
- CBN’s second sandbox cohort quietly opens a testing ground for permission-based data sharing
What I’m watching
- The Real Reason You’re Exhausted After Talking to People
- The Untold Side of Womanhood | Choosing a Life Without Kids
Opportunities
- Flutterwave is hiring for several roles. Apply here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for over 100 roles. Apply here.
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Have a productive week!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
