Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a business of Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader, has launched its second self-sustaining, solar-powered Mobile Digital Lab at Fontein Full-Service School in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. The initiative was delivered in strategic partnership with Microsoft and South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, and implementation partner Deviare, who is additionally co-sponsoring free foundational digital training through their platform.
Reflecting the importance of the initiative to the Eastern Cape province and South Africa’s broader digital transformation efforts, guests of honour included Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies: Minister Solly Malatsi; Premier of the Eastern Cape, Oscar Mabuyane; Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Yusuf Cassim; and Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Babalwa Lobishe.
Serving approximately 850 students, along with local educators and community members, this initiative underscores the impact of public-private partnerships in bringing digital skills and learning opportunities directly into communities. Through this programme, Liquid is combining the strengths of industry and the public sector to address grassroots digital connectivity and skills development requirements.
“Digital inclusion creates lasting impact when relevant skills, reliable infrastructure and meaningful learning opportunities are combined with access to technology. This is central to South Africa’s Digital Economy Masterplan and underscored by the pivotal vision of a capable, skilled society. That is why we extend these initiatives across the country. Working with both private and public sector partners, we are building a resilient model that can reach more young people, giving them purpose and opportunity, to meaningfully participate in today’s digital economy. The solar-powered lab enhances inclusivity, ensuring infrastructure constraints are not an inhibitor to skills development, giving learners and educators a foundation they can build on as technology and the workplace evolve,” said Ziaad Suleman, SVP and Chief Executive Officer of Cassava Technologies, South Africa and Botswana.
The design and delivery model of the mobile digital labs was directly informed by the success of Liquid’s Innovation and Digital Skills Centre in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, which, since its launch, has enrolled and trained 515 learners, achieved a 96% pass rate, and helped 149 learners secure employment opportunities directly linked to the digital skills acquired through the programme.
In addition to essential digital literacy and AI fluency skills, learners gain exposure to tools such as Microsoft Copilot, helping them build practical capabilities for participation in the digital economy. The Mobile Digital Lab’s solar-powered design enables learning to continue independently of the local power grid, helping ensure that power disruptions do not interrupt access to technology and skills development.
“We see digital infrastructure not as a luxury, but as essential infrastructure for economic participation and social development. This Mobile Digital Lab, an initiative of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, and Microsoft, is about access, inclusion, and opportunity for hundreds of children and teachers at Fontein Full-Service School. This moment also highlights the power of public-private partnerships to deliver solutions that ensure South Africa’s digital future is inclusive, accessible, and empowering for all our people. It represents a shared commitment to ensuring that no South African is left behind in the digital age. Let today’s launch remind us that meaningful digital transformation requires action, not just discussion,” said Hon. Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies of South Africa
“Every child deserves the opportunity to discover just how far their potential can take them. At Fontein Full-Service School, this Mobile Digital Lab gives our learners more than access to technology; it gives them the opportunity to explore new possibilities, believe in their abilities and begin imagining futures they may never have thought possible. For our approximately 850 learners, this is an investment not only in the skills they need for tomorrow, but in the confidence to believe that they have a place in tomorrow’s world. We are deeply grateful to Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Cassava Technologies, Microsoft, Deviare and the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies for helping us turn these opportunities into reality. As a school, we are committed to ensuring that this investment makes a lasting difference in the lives of our learners and our wider community”, said Mr Gary Groenewald, Principal, Fontein Full-Service School.
The Gqeberha launch demonstrates how a coordinated, collaborative approach by technology partners and government can broaden access to digital skills in an inclusive, sustainable way. It also signals the continued expansion of the Liquid Mobile Digital Lab model, empowering more young people in underserved regions to participate in South Africa’s digital future.
