Angola ranked among Africa’s top five space economies at NewSpace Africa 2026
Date: 2026-04-20
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Angola
has been named among the five largest space economies in Africa, according to
the Chief Executive Officer of Space in Africa, Temidayo Oniosun, during the
opening session of the NewSpace Africa 2026 conference in Libreville, Gabon.
Oniosun
stated that the Angola Space Programme now ranks alongside those of South
Africa, Morocco, Algeria, and Nigeria, reflecting the country’s growing
influence within the continent’s expanding space sector. He further noted that
Africa’s space industry is projected to reach a value of approximately 39
billion US dollars by 2030.
He
highlighted that the African space sector is increasingly diversifying beyond
traditional applications, with rising interest in satellite manufacturing,
launch capabilities, and broader aerospace infrastructure development.
According to him, early progress in small satellite development and emerging
launch programmes is helping to integrate Africa more firmly into global space
value chains.
The
statement was made at NewSpace Africa 2026, the continent’s largest space
industry conference, currently underway in Libreville from April 20 to 23. The
opening session brought together representatives from major African space
agencies, including Algeria, Angola, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt.
Speaking
during a panel discussion on catalysing Africa’s commercial space economy, the
Director-General of the National Space Programme Management Office, Zolana
João, said Angola developed its space programme from the ground up and now
delivers services with both national and regional impact.
The
discussions at the conference underscore growing momentum across Africa’s space
sector as governments and industry stakeholders seek to strengthen capacity,
expand infrastructure, and increase participation in the global space economy.
