Founded in 1991 as a broadcasting equipment manufacturer, Sat-Com entered the military communications field in 1999 responding to Namibian Defence Force (NDF) requirements. The company initially produced amplifiers and VHF portable radios before expanding into HF radio manufacturing over a decade ago.
Key Products
Software-Defined Radios:
- Leopard Manpack: Currently serving the NDF, this radio offers an unusually wide frequency range (1.6 MHz to 512 MHz), covering HF, VHF, and UHF bands in a single unit—a rare capability that eliminates the need for multiple radios. Features include frequency-hopping, digital voice encryption, data transmission, and blue force tracking.
- Cheetah Lightweight Radio: A wideband VHF/UHF portable with integrated GPS, fast frequency hopping, encryption, electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), and text/file transfer capabilities.
Amplifier Range: The Afracal series spans 75-125 Watt multiband units to 1kW HF amplifiers (Afracal 1000), targeting base station and naval applications. A new 1kW HF antenna tuner is also in development.
Sat-Com operates a 3,500-square-meter facility with comprehensive in-house capabilities—from concept to completion. The factory handles computer-aided design, milling, laser cutting, circuit board production, and military-standard environmental testing (MIL-STD 810G). Current capacity stands at approximately 1,200 radios annually, with expansion potential based on demand.
After securing the Namibian military market, Sat-Com is aggressively pursuing international growth. The company reports a roughly 50-50 split between domestic and export sales, with recent orders from Africa and the Far East. Six active tenders are currently in progress—three from Africa and three from the Far East.
Marketing Coordinator Adél Oosthuizen notes that some potential customers initially doubt that such advanced radios are manufactured entirely in-house at competitive prices.
Sat-Com has identified several growth areas: higher-powered HF manpack radios, low-power lightweight handheld software-defined radios, and technology transfer partnerships offering semi-knockdown (SKD), complete knockdown (CKD), and full intellectual property transfer options.
Beyond military applications, the company maintains a commercial division serving municipalities, police, border patrol, and other security sectors as a reseller of commercial communications equipment.
