The inaugural Africa Space Law and Policy Conference was held in hybrid format from the 28th to the 29th of May, 2026.
The conference gathered space legal stakeholders from the continent and beyond, including policymakers, academics, industry leaders, diplomats and international organisations. The meeting revealed some of Africa’s space ambitions, which have entered a phase defined less by access to technology and more by governance and security. In relation to the discussions specifically, they showcased a continent exceptionally determined to participate in the global space economy, now more than ever, and to play a larger and more strategic role in helping to shape its future.
As noted by Professor Steve Cornelius, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria, and during the opening ceremony, the conference was “about sixty years overdue.” Yet the timing couldn't have been more appropriate. Not only was Africa Day celebrated during the month of May (May 25) but space is now a central theme in conversations concerning economic development. More specifically, space is considered the enabler for national security, communications, environmental management and international cooperation. In fact, Africa is beginning to articulate a collective vision for its place in the global ecosystem, most notably through its drafting and publication of the African Space Policy & Strategy, a continental framework for harnessing the sustainable development benefits derived from the proliferation of space and satellite applications.
A recurring theme throughout was the desire to transition from participation to agency. Speakers emphasized that the region could not afford to remain on the periphery of rapid developments in the space sector. Speaking on this, Nomffuneko Majaja from the Department of Trade & Industry South Africa highlighted the importance of building an ecosystem that enables meaningful African participation in the international space community while promoting the responsible use of outer space.
The need for accelerated space governance and strategic planning was also echoed by Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Aarti Holla-Maini, who noted the significance of African voices, African institutions, and African priorities being discussed on African soil. Her observation that “Africa has arrived” captured the broader mood of the conference. Leading to the question on what role Africa would play now that it had squarely entered the realm of a contributor to the outer space narrative.
In addition, speakers framed space not as a luxury or prestige, which is an outdated and often overstated reason for engaging in outer space activity, but instead as critical infrastructure for development. The Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) described space science and technology as indispensable enabling infrastructure for sustainable development and socioeconomic planning. This perspective reflects the growingly accepted reality being that modern societies rely extensively on space-based infrastructure already, therefore any matters pertaining to agriculture, telecommunications, navigation, disaster management, weather forecasting and financial systems will invariably lead back to the space and satellite applications that underpin these processes.
In this context the question facing African governments should be when and how are we investing in space, not why, as the latter can already be justified simply because space is useful in solving much of the developmental challenges the region is facing. Can African governments with a future-oriented, 4th industrial revolution outlook afford not to invest in space, is the more pertinent question? Brandon Barnes spoke about the potential of space technologies to help address some of Africa’s most pressing developmental challenges whilst also creating opportunities for a continent where approximately seventy percent of the population is under the age of thirty. The demographic advantage represented by Africa’s youth population could become one of the continent's most significant strengths, especially when considering that by the year 2050, 1 in 4 members of the population could be African. Any forward-facing African or global institution must then necessarily think about what Africa’s burgeoning growth will mean for global development narratives.
However the conference also underscored that technological advancement alone will not determine Africa’s success in space. Governance emerged as an equally important pillar. Discussions on space security showed growing concerns regarding the militarisation of outer space and the vulnerability of satellite systems to cyberattacks, electronic warfare, anti-satellite weapons and other emerging threats. States are becoming more dependent on space infrastructure for civilian and military purposes, and the distinction between civilian and military assets is becoming more difficult to maintain, while the growing involvement of private technology companies in space operations further complicates this landscape. Experts noted that the existing legal frameworks including the United Nations Charter, the Outer Space Treaty, and principles of International Humanitarian Law continue to provide important legal foundations. Yet new technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous systems are creating governance challenges that existing frameworks were not designed to address.
Professor Andrea Harrington, Co-Director of the Institute of Air and Space Law and Associate Professor contributed to the discussion, emphasising the need for states to promote principles of accountability, cooperation and transparency by sharing information in accordance with the principle of due regard as articulated in Article 9 of the Outer Space Treaty. Such principles are especially vital for a space environment already characterised as being congested, highly competitive and also strategically important, both for life on Earth as well as for humanity’s possible expansion beyond. It must also be noted that AI and cybersecurity also featured quite prominently, as both risks and opportunities. Both of these sub-sectors are transforming the way we derive value from space missions, but whilst they bring efficiency they also carry the burden of new vulnerabilities which participants stressed mitigating the need for dynamic governance frameworks capable of adapting to rapidly evolving technologies.
Beyond these themes of governance and security, the sentiment overall was that space is the place to be, and economic opportunities were available to all emerging space nations on the African continent. With the global space economy nearing an estimated valuation of approximately USD613 billion in 2024, and projected to exceed USD1 trillion by 2030, participants argued that Africa stands at an inflexion point, where both existing and emerging markets stand only to gain from the immediate downstream applications, as opposed to costly upstream infrastructure.
Data-driven products and services have far more societal appeal to a continent creating opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation, yet realising this potential will require an intentional blend of technical expertise and ecosystem management. Governments, regulators, investors, universities, startups and established industry actors must work together to create an enabling environment for growth. The African Space Agency AfSA was identified as a potentially powerful platform through which African can help shape these emerging international standards. Ultimately, the inaugural Space Law and Policy Conference was the first step to ensuring Africa not only participates but also helps to govern outer space.