Rabat: AfricUpdate – News Desk
A recent report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies identifies Morocco’s significant role in Africa’s growing space sector. According to the September analysis by Temidayo Oniosun, Morocco ranks among the continent’s leaders in space program development alongside Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, and Angola. The report, titled “African Collaboration in the Space Domain Holds Potential for Continental Benefits,” examines how African countries are leveraging space technologies for national security, socioeconomic development, and resilience against transnational threats.
Morocco is specifically mentioned as one of the countries making “sustained investments in space,” with programs including “a mix of Earth observation, communication, and scientific satellites, often supported by international partnerships.” The report notes that Morocco has launched 5 satellites to date, placing it among the top African countries in satellite deployment. The importance of space in Africa has often been “invisible, embedded in the tools and services that citizens use daily without realizing they rely on satellites orbiting thousands of kilometers above Earth,” Oniosun writes.
“From the broadcasting of television programs to navigation systems on smartphones and the expansion of rural broadband access, satellites have already become an integral part of African life.” The report asserts that “space assets are not abstract symbols of technological prestige, but concrete instruments of sovereignty and security.” It notes that satellite technologies are being used across Africa for “border surveillance, maritime monitoring, resource management, and wildlife protection – functions that directly impact national sovereignty, security, and sustainable development.”
Annual African government spending on space has averaged roughly $500 million in recent years, with Morocco identified among the leaders making sustained investments in this domain. Beyond security applications, the report points out how “satellite dishes adorn rooftops” in many locations, especially in Fez. Broadcasting satellites “continue to play a central role in the daily lives of millions,” powering platforms that “have become household names across the continent.”
Currently, more than 21 African countries have established space programs, of which 18 have launched at least one satellite. The continent has launched a combined total of 65 satellites. Over 120 additional satellites in development are expected to be launched by 2030. The report also addresses the need for coordination among African countries to avoid inefficiency, such as duplicated efforts. The African Space Agency (AfSA), inaugurated in Cairo in April, offers a continental framework for aligning space programs and reducing redundancy.
One of AfSA’s early flagship efforts is the Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme, launched in 2025 with €100 million in funding. “This initiative aims to leverage European expertise to strengthen African capabilities in climate monitoring, agriculture, disaster risk management, and private sector development, while ensuring African ownership of the data and systems it generates,” says the report. The report urges established space agencies in countries like Morocco to “adapt to the evolving global model that enables the private sector as an engine of innovation and technological advancement.” It stresses that opening up to greater private participation will stimulate creativity and attract financing to accelerate growth in the space sector.
Oniosun concludes that “space is not a luxury for Africa but a strategic necessity – one that holds both immediate benefits and long-term promise for a continent seeking to shape its own destiny in an interconnected world.” The report positions Morocco as a key player in Africa’s space development journey, with opportunities to expand its role through both national initiatives and continental collaboration in the years ahead.
