• Liquid Intelligent’s new SME Portal will provide small businesses with access to affordable digital tools, including internet, cloud storage, and collaboration services.
• The platform targets Zambia’s 97% MSME base, which contributes 70% of the country's GDP and 88% of jobs, helping them digitize their operations and boost productivity.
• The move reflects a broader industry shift as companies like MTN and Zamtel expand into cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise services — turning telecom providers into digital infrastructure enablers.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies Zambia, a business of Cassava Technologies, has unveiled its new SME Portal, a bundled digital platform designed to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to affordable digital tools. The move was announced on October 21.

“Our goal is to ensure that every Zambian business, no matter its size, can participate fully in the digital economy,” said Mwendamo Mazaba, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Zambia. “The SME Portal puts control back in the hands of entrepreneurs. Everything they need is available in one place — easy to set up, flexible, and designed to grow with their business.”

The SME Portal consolidates high-speed internet, cloud storage, and collaboration tools into a single, user-friendly platform. It allows SMEs to manage connectivity, data protection, and team communication seamlessly — without the need for complex IT infrastructure. Liquid’s SME Portal reflects a broader shift across Africa’s connectivity and technology landscape, where service providers are moving beyond traditional telecom offerings to capture new revenue streams in cloud services, cybersecurity, and digital productivity platforms.

MTN Zambia, for instance, is leveraging its fintech and enterprise divisions to provide converged ICT–managed network services, cloud services, unified communications, security solutions, and Internet of Things, as well as connectivity (mobile and fixed). Meanwhile, Zamtel, the state-owned operator, aims to integrate technology across various sectors to enhance productivity, improve public services, and drive national development.

In its 2023 Revised National MSME Development Policy, the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development cited data from the Bank of Zambia and the ILO’s 2021 Financial Scoping Survey, showing that MSMEs make up 97% of all businesses, contribute 70% to the country’s GDP, and provide 88% of total employment.

Liquid’s growing portfolio — which includes public Wi-Fi networks in Livingstone, GPON fibre expansion, Azure Stack cloud solutions, and a Cyber Security Fusion Centre launched in 2023 — highlights a clear pivot towards platform-based service delivery. This model mirrors emerging strategies across Africa, where operators are repositioning as digital infrastructure enablers rather than pure network providers.

Hikmatu Bilali