Access to digital opportunities and education is still uneven throughout most of Africa, especially in areas where connectivity infrastructure is limited or difficult to sustain. In these environments, young people’s ability to engage in modern educational systems, develop relevant skills, and connect to broader economic opportunities heavily relies on their ability to access reliable internet access.
By combining education, technology, and community-based development, the humanitarian Forest Whitaker founded the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) to close these gaps. In collaboration with SES, WPDI has expanded high-speed connectivity to 10 Community Learning Centers in South Sudan and Uganda. This partnership enables reliable internet access in areas where traditional networks face logistical and environmental challenges.
This connectivity supports a range of educational programs, such as entrepreneurship training, virtual exchange, and digital literacy. These programs help strengthen long-term resilience and opportunity by helping learners develop practical skills that can be used within their local communities.
This partnership was honored with the Changing Lives Award at the Africa Tech Festival 2025, highlighting the expanding role of technology in promoting inclusive development throughout the continent. In particular, satellite technology is essential for extending connectivity beyond the limits of terrestrial infrastructure and providing a scalable means of reaching underserved communities.
Beyond its impact on local communities, the WPDI partnership reflects a broader momentum SES sees across Africa as multi-orbit satellite solutions emerge as a critical enabler of digital inclusion. As Pablo Catapodis, VP, Africa shared, “SES’s ability to combine GEO, MEO and LEO capabilities allows us to deliver the right service for the right application, ensuing flexibility and performance in geographies where terrestrial networks cannot reliably reach.”
The same multi-orbit approach is helping operators expand coverage, support enterprise growth, and strengthen mobile backhaul – areas Catapodis highlighted as some of the strongest growth opportunities across Africa. SES already supports MNOs and partners in countries such as South Africa, Mali, DRC, and Nigeria, providing tailored solutions that address regional needs while enabling operators to meet rising connectivity demand.
Digital inclusion remains central to SES’s Africa strategy, and community initiatives like WPDI are part of a wider effort to connect the unconnected while investing in Africa’s long-term digital transformation.
As Africa’s digital future develops, programs like the WPDI-SES partnership demonstrate how connectivity can serve as a catalyst for social stability, education, and skill development. And as SES continues expanding its presence across the continent—strengthening local teams, enhancing multi-orbit capacity, and collaborating closely with operators—these efforts collectively support a more resilient, inclusive, and digitally enabled Africa.
To learn more about this program, click here.
