The British man who founded a South African company that makes parts for NASA
James Barrington-Brown moved to Cape Town from the UK with two suitcases and started a company that makes spacecraft parts.
Barrington-Brown founded NewSpace Systems in 2013, which manufactures parts of spacecraft that go into orbit, focusing on the payload, cameras and communications.
He initially hailed from the UK and became an electronics engineer, which he pursued after he was a DJ and wanted his lights to flash in exciting ways.
He moved into the space industry, which is the coolest thing to talk about. The demands of engineering are also extreme, with no maintenance for the parts in space.
He moved to Cape Town in 2013, having worked in the aerospace industry, and having fallen in love with the region during business and personal trips.
He moved to Cape Town with two suitcases and a big idea for a business. He saw an opportunity to benefit from the large number of skills.
South Africa also benefited from lower costs, with Barrington-Brown wanting to break into the world market for space products.
The business’s start was not simple; the company was bootstrapped, and cash flow was always an issue. “Five out of the first eight months I drew no salary to keep the company afloat,” he said.
Investors from Germany and the United States, who understood his vision, backed the company’s early growth.
The company became a huge success, with a global customer base, 80% of which are in the USA.
This includes NASA and other deep space companies. Its main customers are those who make satellites for a specific purpose, such as communications.
One of its largest customers is OneWeb, which provides broadband internet from space, akin to Starlink and Amazon Leo.
The company would also expand from a venture in the Western Cape into a multinational operation, supporting a fleet of more than 500 satellites.
The company has also exported over 2,000 components to 33 countries across six continents.
It also operates facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Asia, allowing it to serve its diverse clientele.
This expansion has enabled NSS to serve both commercial customers and government clients while maintaining consistent year-over-year growth.
Takes a step back
Barrington-Brown stepped down from his executive role as global chairman of the company he founded in July 2025.
Operational leadership will be passed to Tanya Lerm, who was the CEO of NewSpace Systems.
While stepping back from his day-to-day role at the company, he said that he would remain actively involved with NSS as Chairman of the Board.
As per this, he would provide strategic guidance and oversee the company’s long-term direction.
He would serve in a consultancy role, providing his expertise to support critical decisions and initiatives.
After leaving his executive duties, Barrington-Brown and his wife, Yvette Barrington-Brown, co-founded Cape Constellation.
Cape Constellation was born out of the belief that Africa’s space future needs to be built on African soil.
Yvette transitioned into the space sector, coming through long-term industry exposure and formal training in space law and policy.
The Barrington-Browns combined their expertise to find Africa Space Ventures, which aims to accelerate commercial investment, market-driven strategies, and startup growth across the African space technology sector.
Photos of NewSpace Systems
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