As a boy in rural Senegal, Gayane Faye could only gaze at the stars while tending family flocks or watching rocket launches on TV. Now he leads Senegal’s satellite program, part of a surge across Africa. Nearly 20 African countries have satellites in orbit, with more launching space programs. This year, African nations will spend over $800mn on space projects—almost double spending from two years ago. The African Union established the African Space Agency last year to enhance coordination and share best practices.

Satellites are transforming governance across the continent. Botswana and Uganda use them to locate minerals and predict droughts. Angola connects remote villages via communications satellites, while Djibouti monitors water reserves from space. Scientists save time and resources by downloading data remotely instead of visiting scattered ground stations. Experts say sovereignty over data drives this growth.

"They want sovereign access to data," says Temidayo Oniosun, analyst at Space in Africa. Buying satellite imagery from Western firms can be costly, and sanctioned nations may be denied access entirely. Senegal exemplifies rapid progress: its first satellite, Gainde Sat-1A, cost around $1mn. Faye plans a constellation of 6 to 12 satellites, projecting costs to drop tenfold per unit. Nanosatellites—weighing less than a bag of flour—cost as little as $50,000, enabling safe experimentation.

"You can make mistakes with them and it is OK," notes Nigerian engineer Taiwo Tejumola, who trained in Japan. These small platforms offer an accessible path for advanced nations to transfer knowledge. With better imagery, tasks like tracking seasonal food production become far more accurate, improving planning and saving lives.