Tana Malinga
At the 2025 Digital Government Africa Summit in Lusaka, SMART Zambia Institute (SZI), inq Zambia, and Mezzanine announced a new partnership. They want to help Zambia go more digital by using Mezzanine’s Helium Platform. This system will be hosted inside Zambia and priced in Kwacha, making it easier and more reliable for local use.
Working Together for Zambia’s Digital Future
This partnership joins local Zambian tech experts with Mezzanine’s experience in creating strong digital systems in tough environments. Their main goals are to:
Host government and business systems within Zambia in a sustainable way
Encourage African-made technology, instead of relying on systems from outside Africa
Support digital growth in different areas like health, farming, education, and public services
Make services more reliable with clear contracts in local currency (Kwacha)
Mezzanine CEO Jacques de Vos said, “Our job is to build strong digital systems that fit local needs. The Helium Platform was made for this.”
Why This Partnership Is Important
Made in Africa, for Africa – The idea is to use local talent, local systems, and smart technology to support Zambia
Data stays in Zambia – By hosting the platform locally, Zambia keeps full control of its data and digital systems, which helps with national security
No foreign currency problems – Because everything is priced in Kwacha, services can continue smoothly without worrying about exchange rates
Useful for many sectors – While the focus is on government, the system can also help in farming, healthcare, utilities, and more
Local skills development – The project will also train Zambians and help grow the country’s digital skills and workforce
What Happens Next
In the next few months, the partners will:
Set up local hosting and digital systems
Move key government and business tasks onto the Helium Platform
Start trial programs in a few ministries and sectors
Improve the system based on feedback and results
Invite other African countries to learn from and join this model
