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The Western Cape government and Liquid Intelligent Technologies have extended their collaboration to further develop the province's connectivity. More than R 2 billion will be invested in this initiative over the course of the next seven years as Liquid South Africa expands the number of free public Wi-Fi hotspots.The Western Cape government and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a division of Cassava Technologies, a prominent pan-African technology group, have extended their collaboration to further develop the province’s connectivity, which has facilitated the “Citizen-centric Digital Transformation.” More than R 2 billion will be invested in this initiative over the course of the next seven years as Liquid South Africa expands the number of free public Wi-Fi hotspots available to the public, hence expanding their access to high-speed connectivity.
The Western Cape Government’s Director-General, Dr. Harry Malila, concurred. “We have had a successful and productive partnership with the State Information Technology Agency and Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa for the past ten years,” he stated. While our e-Centres and rural libraries give all of our residents, especially the underprivileged youth, access to information technology and job opportunities, broadband “1.0” has improved connectivity in Western Cape Government (WCG) corporate buildings, schools, hospitals, and clinics. These programs have significantly improved the lives of our citizens and advanced the WCG’s overarching growth and employment objective. I’m excited to work with you on Broadband “2.0” for the next seven years.
Remarking on the collaboration “The partnership initiative between the WCPG and Liquid Technologies is a good example of a PPP,” said Simphiwe Dzengwa, MD of SITA. It has helped the province reach important milestones in connecting government facilities and communities. This marks a significant turning point in our nation’s digitalisation efforts. Our role at SITA is to drive and facilitate these accomplishments. In other provinces, we’ll try to follow the Western Cape model.
At 88.1%, the Western Cape already has the highest internet connectivity percentage in the nation, per StatsSA’s 2023 General Household Survey. In order to ensure a better digital future for everybody, Liquid South Africa and the Western Cape Government (WCG) are resolute in their commitment to expanding the benefits realised through access to high-speed internet.
“Since the beginning of our partnership, Liquid South Africa has established 1600 free public Wi-Fi hotspots and +2000 sites which include schools, hospitals, clinics and libraries which are used by almost 4 million citizens in the province,” said Deon Geyser, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa, reinforcing the company’s dedication to its vision of leaving no South African behind. The key to accelerating digital transformation is having access to fast connectivity. In addition to providing faster speeds and increasing data allowance, we have also enhanced our cyber security offering by deploying SDWAN. Through these initiatives, the province’s citizens and businesses, both in rural and urban locations, will be able to safely and effectively take advantage of all the opportunities presented by digital transformation.
The public Wi-Fi network offers 6GB of data per device per month at 10 Mbps speeds up to 20 Mbps and is already accessible in more than 26 municipalities at 1600 sites. In order to ensure that everyone may benefit from this program, regardless of location or resources, government websites will also continue to be permanently free for everyone to access. For the majority of people and communities in rural, isolated places, mobile phones are essential for keeping in contact and conducting business. Mobile broadband’s comparatively expensive prices, however, may act as a deterrent. Public access Wi-Fi networks, such as the ones Liquid is growing, give people a chance to interact with one another as well as with mobile study, work, and entrepreneurship, providing a bright future.
