The rest is hyperscalery
Liquid Intelligent Technologies (LIT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Zambia to expedite the country’s digital transformation, get everyone online and attract Big Tech inward investment. The MOU was signed by Felix Mutati, Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science and Nic Rudnick, Group Deputy Chairman of Liquid Intelligent Technologies at the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha (pictured) Qata.
According to the Zambia Inclusive Digital Economy Status Report 2022 only 53% of Zambians are digitally-included. The effect on the country’s socio-economic development has persuaded its government to prioritise digital transformation. The agreement with LIT, an offshoot of Cassava Technologies, builds on its series previous investments since it arrived in the landlocked Republic of Zambia in 2011. The MoU is that its Zambian offshoot Liquid Zambia will build a new data centre in Lusaka catering for local businesses and hyperscalers establishing their presence in Zambia.
The planned expansion of Liquid’s fibre network will connect towns across the country and will build the physical infrastructure to connect schools and clinics along Liquid’s network. The group will work with the government to offer public and private cloud, with cyber security systems supporting the digitisation of government services. Liquid said these activities and investments, coupled with further expansion of the network across Zambia’s borders will position Zambia as a strong hub of digital activity in the region, which lies at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to by global content delivery planners as Southern Africa at its most central point.
Liquid Intelligent Technologies is a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group with operations in over 25 countries in Africa. Liquid has firmly established itself as the leading provider of pan-African digital infrastructure with a 100,000km-long fibre broadband network and satellite connectivity that provides high-speed access to the Internet anywhere in Africa.
“We recognise the significant efforts that the Zambian government is making to accelerate the country’s digital transformation and share His Excellency, President Hichilema’s vision for the development of Zambia’s digital economy. Given the conducive investment environment, we are committed to further investments in Zambia’s digital infrastructure,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO, Cassava Technologies.
“Zambia is our home and we are committed to seeing the country thrive,” said LIT CEO Mark Townsend, “The Liquid Zambia team is excited to be continuing our partnership with the Zambian government. Contributing meaningfully to its socio-economic growth and infrastructural development, by offering our knowledge, skills and infrastructure services is important to us.”