The Departments of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) and Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI), alongside state entities Sentech and the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), have formulated a National Communication Satellite Strategy with the aim of addressing national priorities such as supporting digital transformation, and addressing the significant digital divide between urban and rural areas.

Prerequisites:

• Institutional & political interest and support for utilising SatCom technologies for services 

• Understand national 

policies and identify national policies that utilise SatCom data

• Identify and build relationships with relevant ministries, local companies, and other stakeholders to gather comprehensive data on existing SatCom usage in the nation

• Inter-ministerial working group

• Partner support as needed

Cost:

• Ballpark: USD 10k–20k

• Includes: literature review, stakeholder consultations, expert advisory, report drafting and validation

Note: A complete study would range from USD 50k-250k and include multiple activities such as determining the relevance of the domain, identification of existing data sources, developing use cases, and a capability maturity assessment) 

Timeframe:

• Overall: 6–12 mo

• Phase: scoping (1–2 mo), consultation (2–4 mo), drafting (2–4 mo), validation (1–2 mo)

Pros:

• Policy Alignment - Ensure policy consistency and facilitate government support..

• Investment Efficiency - Allow for efficient resource utilization, maximizing the impact of investments.

Considerations:

• Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration - Engage a diverse range of stakeholders—including government agencies, industry leaders, and academic institutions—to drive comprehensive outcomes.