What was launched
ITWeb reports that the partners launched a solar-powered mobile digital lab at Fontein Full-Service School in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, to expand access to digital skills training. The initiative is expected to serve approximately 850 students, as well as educators and community members.
Attendees included Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi, Deputy Higher Education Minister Yusuf Cassim and Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor Babalwa Lobishe.
The ITWeb report says learners will be exposed to tools such as Microsoft Copilot. It also says the solar design lets learning continue independently of the local electricity grid and reduces the risk of power cuts interrupting training.
The second lab in a series
Liquid's own announcement calls this its second self-sustaining, solar-powered Mobile Digital Lab. It names Deviare as implementation partner. Deviare is also co-sponsoring free foundational digital training through its platform. ITWeb's account doesn't mention Deviare. Inside Education lists the partner under a slightly different spelling, "Devaire".
The first lab went live in May 2026 at the Royal Bafokeng Institute in Phokeng, North West. Coverage of that launch gives a clearer idea of what the Microsoft side involves:
- The curriculum focuses on digital literacy and AI foundations, covering Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot and AI fluency.
- Its current cohort is completing a three-month programme on Microsoft Power Platform, leading to Power Platform Fundamentals, Functional Consultant and Developer certifications.
None of the Gqeberha reports confirms that Fontein will follow the same curriculum. The North West details show the partnership's pattern, not the Gqeberha syllabus. A school with about 850 learners may well get something more basic than a Power Platform certification track.
Two labs in one week
Inside Education reports that this was the first of two labs scheduled for Nelson Mandela Bay that week. The second launch was planned for Soutpan Primary School on Tuesday. I found no report of that second launch, so treat it as planned, not completed.
The minister's yardstick
Malatsi's remarks to Inside Education are worth noting because they set a test for the programme itself. He said every mobile digital lab launch and skills programme should be measured against the lives changed for young people. He said initiatives should be judged by whether participants secure meaningful employment, contribute to their communities and lift their families out of poverty.
ITWeb says the launch builds on Liquid's Innovation and Digital Skills Centre in Mthatha. It reports that the centre enrolled and trained 515 learners, achieved a 96% pass rate and helped 149 learners secure employment opportunities linked to the skills acquired. These figures come from Liquid's programme reporting as relayed by ITWeb. The reports don't define "pass rate" or say how the job links were established. They also don't describe results for the Gqeberha lab, which has only just opened.
What is known and what isn't
The reports leave several practical questions open:
- Power resilience: The reports describe a solar-powered design meant to reduce dependence on the grid. They give no panel capacity, battery storage or operating hours. "Independent of the grid" is the stated design aim, not a proven guarantee.
- Connectivity: Solar power doesn't explain how the lab connects to the internet. The reports don't say.
- The 850 figure: Liquid's announcement quotes the school as having approximately 850 learners. That looks like the school's learner population, not the number of seats or a measured throughput. A mobile lab can't give 850 children equal hands-on time without a timetable. None has been published.
- Copilot access: No version, licensing, age controls or supervision arrangements are given. For a school audience, those are the questions IT administrators would ask first.
- Device access at home: Malatsi spoke about households without smart devices and data that is too expensive. The reports don't say the lab provides devices or data for home use.
Why this matters for Microsoft-watchers
This is Microsoft's AI skills push at community scale. Copilot sits next to Microsoft 365 and Teams literacy in the curriculum Liquid described for the first lab, and the partnership is positioned around certifications that feed the Microsoft ecosystem. Government and a telecoms group bring the funding, the venue and the infrastructure.
One fair caution: the main sources are a partner announcement and the media coverage built around it. No independent evaluation exists yet. The case for the model will rest on the outcomes Malatsi himself called for, such as jobs and sustained learner progress. Launch-day attendance won't settle it.
Bottom line
- A solar-powered mobile digital lab is now operating at Fontein Full-Service School, serving a school of roughly 850 learners plus educators and community members.
- It is Liquid's second such lab after the May 2026 North West launch, with Microsoft, DCDT and implementation partner Deviare involved.
- Learners will encounter Microsoft Copilot, but the reports give no curriculum, licensing or safeguard details.
- The minister has said the model should be judged on employment and life outcomes. Those results aren't yet available.