Huawei, Orange partner to accelerate digital transformation
staff writer | Wednesday November 4, 2026 06:00
The two companies recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will culminate in the establishment of closer technical engagement to identify priority opportunities, explore emerging technologies and develop industry-specific digital solutions.
The agreement also reflects their shared commitment to turning long-term technology cooperation into practical innovation that supports Botswana’s ICT sector and sustainable digital growth. Orange Botswana CEO, Néné Maïga, said the agreement reaffirms the telcom firm’s shared commitment to advancing the country’s digital transformation and unlocking new opportunities for the economy, businesses and communities.
“Our role extends beyond connectivity. We are building the infrastructure, services and capabilities that enable everyone to take part in the digital economy,” she said at the MoU signing ceremony. “Building on years of cooperation with Huawei in networks, fintech, energy and digital services, we will now explore opportunities in intelligent networks, AI, cloud, enterprise solutions and data infrastructure, focused on delivering practical value to our customers and the industries we serve.” Huawei Technologies Botswana Managing Director, Li Dalu, said their cooperation with Orange Botswana goes beyond traditional connectivity. He added that by combining Orange’s local capabilities and market knowledge with Huawei’s global expertise in cloud, connectivity and artificial intelligence (AI), they will support secure, reliable and scalable digital services for businesses and institutions.
“Our focus now is to turn this agreement into practical solutions and measurable value for our customers and partners.” The MoU builds on years of cooperation in wireless networks, fintech, intelligent operations and maintenance (O&M), green energy and backbone transmission. It, therefore, extends the relationship beyond traditional network infrastructure towards a broader ecosystem of digital and intelligent solutions. The partnership combines Orange Botswana’s nationwide connectivity infrastructure, backed by the Orange Group’s global expertise.
Orange has extensive experience in digital transformation, serving around 300 million customers across 26 countries, while Huawei has global expertise in ICT, cloud and AI technologies. Together, the two companies will explore new opportunities across enterprise services, energy, mining and data centre services, supporting more agile, resilient and sustainable digital infrastructure and enabling new applications across key industries.
Orange Botswana’s Tier III-certified Data Centre is a key part of the country’s digital infrastructure. It is built for high availability, operational resilience and secure hosting of critical systems. The facility gives businesses and institutions a reliable foundation for digitalisation, cloud adoption and business continuity.
As demand for data-intensive and AI-driven applications grows, it will play an increasingly important role in Botswana’s digital economy. Alongside its infrastructure investments, Orange Botswana continues to build digital skills through the Orange Digital Center (ODC). In 2026, the centre has reached more than 9,400 people through 70 programmes covering digital literacy, entrepreneurship and practical technology skills. These programmes help develop local talent and widen participation in the opportunities created by a more connected economy.