Africa Tech Festival: Liquid pours smarts into W Cape govt

The public often hears about digital transformation, but seldom sees it in action – especially not in government services.

That may be about to change, at least in one part of South Africa. Liquid Intelligent Technologies has renewed a partnership with the Western Cape Government, designed to expand connectivity in the province. The project, termed “citizen-centric digital transformation”, entails investment of more than R2-billion in the next 7 years. The public will feel this investment directly: as increased access to high-speed connectivity, in particular through more free public Wi-Fi hotspots.

The Western Cape Government has been ahead of the public connectivity curve for several decades. It has partnered with Liquid and the State Information Technology Agency for the past 10 years, delivering basic broadband to corporate buildings, schools, hospitals and clinics. This phase is now referred to as Broadband 1.0, while the next seven years will comprise Broadband 2.0.

Is it a pipe dream of a broadband paradise? Actually, the stats speak for themselves: StatsSA’s 2023 General Household Survey showed that 88.1% of the Western Cape population has internet access. Yes, that is the highest in the country.

 “The partnership initiative between the Western Cape Government and Liquid Technologies serves as a good example of a public-private partnership,” says Simphiwe Dzengwa, MD of SITA. “Through it, the province has achieved its critical milestones in bringing connectivity to communities and government buildings. This is a great milestone for our country in its digitisation effort. We will seek to replicate the Western Cape example in other provinces”.

Deon Geyser, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa, says the partnership has already led to the establishment of 1,600 free public Wi-Fi hotspots and more than 2000 sites The connected schools, hospitals, clinics and libraries are used by almost 4-million citizens in the province. 

“Access to high-speed connectivity is the necessary catalyst for driving digital transformation,” he says “We have increased data allocation and provided faster speeds, and through the deployment of SDWAN, we even improved the cyber security offering. These efforts will ensure that the province’s individuals and businesses in rural and metro areas alike can take advantage of every opportunity offered by digital transformation effectively and securely”.

The public Wi-Fi network, available in 26 municipalities, gives each user 6GB of data per device per month, at a speed of 10-20 Mbps speeds. Along with that, Government websites will remain free for users to access.

Liquid is part of Cassava Technologies, a leading pan-African technology group, giving it access to extensive resources, infrastructure and skills. This is likely to be one of the secret sauces that will enhance public access to mobile learning, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

* Sheryl Goldstuck is general manager of World Wide Worx and Editor of GadgetWheels.