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Zambia has collaborated with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a Cassava Tech business, to facilitate the digital transformation of the county. This collaboration comes amid efforts by the South African country to speed up its economic growth, offering companies and Zambians reliable and affordable connectivity.

Liquid has been extensively investing in the country since 2011, which has acted as a good foundation for the collaboration. The Cassava Tech Company committed to launching a new data center to help local businesses tackle their data hosting demands.

Technological developments continue to shape different sectors of Africa due to the combined need for more data, cloud migration, and content availability. Many online businesses are already benefiting from the rise of cloud computing. For instance, an online casino in Zambia can now provide seamless gaming experiences to its customers on different devices, including mobile. As business data increases, so will the need for robust and reliable data backups, opening up more opportunities for data centers.

Data centers continue to set a stage in the African Market, with South Africa leading the space. Reports show the country generates 6% of its GDP from the data center industry. With this rising demand, the market share of the centers is projected to reach $5 by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 15%. Africa continues to see new establishments like Kenya’s recent Olkaria Ecocloud Data Centre.

A Unique Opportunity for Liquid

 

Liquid seeks to expand its fiber network across more towns, schools, and clinics to enhance connectivity in Zambia. The company will also collaborate with the government to provide public and private cloud solutions. These investments will position the South African country as a robust hub for digital activity.

A 2022 Zambia Inclusive Digital Economy Status report indicated that 53% of the country’s citizens were connected digitally. That half of the country’s population is not connected, making it appropriate to prioritize this digital transformation.

In a comment, Hardy Pemhiwa, the President of Cassava Tech, appreciated the government’s effort in accelerating this transformation and mentioned that it gave the company a conducive investment environment to thrive. Hon Felix Mutati, representing the Zambian government, and Nic Rudnick, representing Liquid, signed the MOU in March 2023 in Doha, Qatar, during the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries.

This MOU is central to Liquid’s mission of seeing the entire African continent digitally interconnected. In this regard, Liquid also launched a cross-border terrestrial fiber route between Zambia and Malawi to enhance efficiency and connectivity between the two countries. The fiber network spans 711 km.

The Cassava Company has also launched other high-speed fiber routes, including the Kenya-South Africa and Mauritius-South Africa. In August 2023, it launched a high-speed fiber in Gaborone.

In conclusion, Africa’s growing demand for a digital economy opens more opportunities for data centers. Businesses are now transitioning to cloud computing solutions to enhance their customers’ experiences. The recent collaboration of the Zambian government and Liquid will enhance this digital transformation in the country’s economy. The MOU promises increased connectivity among different sectors, improved data hosting, and availability of cloud computing solutions.

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Author: Robert Ngwira

Attended Our Future Private Secondary School in Rumphi from 2006-2009 Holder of Diploma in Journalism from Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) Hobbies, reading newspapers, going out with friends, listening to radio and watching football. Email: info@faceofmalawi.com