Africa mapping project announced by three tech groups

Details: Vaughan O'Grady; Category: Satellite Networks; 30 July 2025; 2234 views

Space42, a UAE-based spacetech company, has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with tech giant Microsoft and GIS mapping software specialist Esri to deliver high-resolution, scalable base maps across all 54 African countries, serving over 1.4 billion people.

The Map Africa Initiative, as it is called, will create the most comprehensive base map of the continent to date, addressing infrastructure, investment, and institutional gaps. The MoU was signed at Esri’s 2025 User Conference.

The updated mapping system will, the partners say, catalyse economic development through increased access to intelligent solutions that support governments, businesses and communities.

The five-year collaboration aims to strengthen geospatial capabilities across Africa and the UAE and provide precise and accessible data to national and regional stakeholders.

As the partners point out, Africa’s maps are fragmented, outdated or inaccessible. The Map Africa Initiative seeks to change this by producing continent-wide geospatial data that is accurate, timely and locally managed.

Space42 will lead fundraising efforts and project management, in addition to providing satellite data through sovereign capacities and commercial partners. It will process data using AI-powered digital twin models to produce dynamic, use-specific outputs and lead the research and development roadmap for new AI models and automation of map production workflows.

Esri will orchestrate base map production workflows with its GeoAI and remote sensing capabilities, while also supporting regional hubs to train local teams and build long-term capacity. Microsoft will provide the secure cloud infrastructure and AI framework through Azure to support data processing, sharing, and integration at scale.

The initiative is expected to unlock long-term value across multiple industries, including ports and logistics, renewable energy, security and disaster response, and smart cities and digital economies.

The data will be licensed to national governments, enabling ownership and long-term updating by National Mapping Agencies. Over time, the initiative will also support a new commercial ecosystem of African startups. The data will eventually be housed in G42 and Microsoft-managed data centres across the continent.