Pan-African cloud and cyber security services provider Liquid C2 has launched what it claims is Africa’s first artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud experience centre, based in Johannesburg.
The company says the Partner Experience Centre, developed in partnership with Google Cloud, will support partners and resellers to design and deploy cloud and AI solutions for African markets.
The facility includes an onboarding programme to help partners obtain certification in Google Cloud technologies.
Partners and clients will receive technical training and work with engineers to design solutions, which will then be distributed through Liquid C2’s partner network.
According to the company, the initiative is intended to expand commercial opportunities for partners and support skills development in the local technology sector.
Targeted at a range of sectors − including telecoms, banking, the public sector and retail − the centre provides access to enterprise tools, including Gemini Enterprise, as well as an environment for testing and developing AI applications.
Partners will be able to prototype and test solutions before deploying them in operational environments.
Speaking at the launch event, held this morning, Strive Masiyiwa, founder and chairman of Cassava Technologies, said the facility is designed to address infrastructure and skills constraints that can delay technology adoption across the continent.
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“This centre will host sector-specific platforms for industries such as financial services, healthcare and retail, demonstrating the application of AI in business operations,” Masiyiwa explained.
“The time for us to talk about AI is over. This is a time for us to invest and build the infrastructure and put in place the digital ladder to enable AI services and ensure they are efficient. We want to see AI deployed in education, in government services and in agriculture and mining.
“Teachers should also be taught how to deploy and use Google Gemini, and government officials should use Gemini. These innovations should be used to create jobs for millions of young people. Let's make sure our children are native to these technologies and that they are able to compete on a global scale.”
Liquid C2 is a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, and provides cloud and cyber security services across Africa.
The company says the new facility forms part of its broader strategy to expand access to cloud and AI technologies through its partner ecosystem.
The experience centre is expected to be used by enterprises, start-ups, developers and public sector organisations to collaborate on locally-relevant solutions.
Google Cloud brings into the partnership its advanced AI and cloud technologies, including the Gemini Enterprise platform and AI models, as well as technical expertise and certification frameworks.
Liquid C2 says it contributes infrastructure, market expertise and a partner network across Africa, providing resellers with hands-on support, business guidance and distribution channels to deploy solutions tailored to African market needs.
Ecosystem growth
According to Ziaad Suleman, senior VP at Cassava Technologies and CEO for South Africa and Botswana, the centre is aimed at building stronger partner ecosystems that combine infrastructure and technical expertise.
“The Partner Experience Centre powered by Google Cloud creates a practical environment where organisations can explore, test and scale solutions that deliver real business value,” he commented.
“By combining our infrastructure, expertise and continental reach with Google Cloud’s advanced technologies, we are helping to democratise access to AI and cloud capabilities for enterprises across Africa.”
Also speaking at the event, communications minister Solly Malatsi noted the centre is an investment in skills development and job creation.
“This centre for me represents much more than a new facility. What it does represent is a vote of confidence in South Africa's market.
“It's a vote of confidence in this sector and an indicator that we've got the right momentum and that we are doing the right things to be able to affect the kind of investment this nation needs.
“Because for me, it is important that not only do we [South Africa] become the gateway for the continent, but that we continue to position South Africa as a leading voice in shaping conversations about the evolution of technology and the best use of that technology given our societal needs,” stated Malatsi.
“For that to happen, we need meaningful connectivity and affordability of technology devices. The spirit of partnerships also becomes very, very important because the reality is that businesses invest in conducive markets.”
Tara Brady, president of Google Cloud EMEA, added that the facility forms part of the company’s broader investment in partner-led innovation across Africa.
“The Partner Experience Centre is a testament to our belief in the power of a strong partner ecosystem.”
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