Liquid Telecommunications Ltd, the biggest fiber-network company in Africa, has added a solar plant at its East Africa data centre to cut operating costs. The power generator was built by Distributed Power Africa (DPA), which is also part of the Econet Global Ltd group controlled by Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa. The instalment will reduce expenditure by about a third, DPA chief executive officer Norman Moyo said in an interview, and help to reduce Liquid’s carbon footprint. In sub-Saharan Africa, “businesses are increasingly interested in affordable and reliable energy,” said Moyo. “We also believe energy to be a fundamental pillar in supporting Africa’s economic development.” Many parts of Africa struggle with reliable electricity supply, prompting energy-intensive businesses such as data-centre operators to seek alternative sources. DPA also offers batteries made by Tesla Inc, and uses one itself to power the head office in Zimbabwe. — Bloomberg
