• Liquid has expanded its relationship with the government of Zambia through a new Memorandum of Understanding.
• Part of this expansion includes the launching of a new data centre by Liquid in the country.
• Liquid will also be building infrastructure to further spread its fibre, and will be offering public and private cloud services, as well as cybersecurity to government entities in Zambia.

If you have been following tech news across Africa in recent years, a name you will see come up often is Liquid – officially Liquid Intelligent Technologies, an arm of Sandton, Johannesburg-based Cassava Technologies.

Liquid has spent the last three years spreading its data centre and networking services across the African continent, often through agreements with government agencies.

Today, the pan-African tech group announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Zambia in which Liquid commits to building a new data centre in the Southern African country.

Only 53 percent of Zambians have access to digital networking and related technologies, according to the Zambia Inclusive Digital Economy Status Report 2022. “The lack of connectivity and the impact it has on the country’s socio-economic development is the main reason why the Zambian government has prioritised the country’s digital transformation,” says Liquid in a press statement.

The new data centre is set to address the “increasing data-hosting needs from local businesses and hyperscalers establishing their presence in Zambia.”

Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati, signed the MOU with Nic Rudnick, Group Deputy Chairman of Liquid Intelligent Technologies in Qatar on 7th March during the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5).

The signing of the MOU is pictured in the above cover image, with Minister Mutati on the left, and Rudnick on the right.

Apart from the new data centre, another objective of the MOU is the planned further expansion of Liquid’s fibre network in the country. The company launched its fibre-to-the-home solution last year in Zambia, as well as in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, the DRC, and Zimbabwe.

This latest expansion, however, is focused on the construction of the physical infrastructure needed to connect schools and clinics along Liquid’s network.

Liquid will also be working with the Zambian government to offer public and private cloud, and cybersecurity solutions to support the digitisation of government services.

In a press statement, Liquid says the agreement builds on its already extensive investments made since it opened its doors in Zambia in 2011.

“The Liquid Zambia team is excited to be continuing our partnership with the Zambian government. Zambia is our home, and we are committed to seeing the country thrive,” enthused Mark Townsend, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Zambia.

Adding, “Being able to contribute meaningfully to its socio-economic growth and infrastructural development by sharing our knowledge and skills, and through the provision of the infrastructure and services needed by Zambian in this growth phase is important to us.”

Recently, Liquid launched its third Cyber Security Fusion Centre in Zambia, joining a network of security centres located in South Africa and Kenya.

[Image – Provided]