Cassava Technologies, founded by Zimbabwean telecoms mogul Strive Masiyiwa, has partnered with Nvidia Corp. to establish Africa’s first artificial intelligence (AI) factory.
According to a statement on Cassava’s website, the company will integrate Nvidia’s cutting-edge computing and AI software into its data centres in South Africa by June 2025, with further expansion planned for Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria.
“This will give African businesses, governments and researchers access to cutting-edge AI computing capacity, helping them develop smarter AI products, streamline operations and stay competitive in a fast-changing world. It provides the supercomputers and software needed to train AI while keeping data within Africa’s borders,” the statement read.
Masiyiwa stressed that developing AI infrastructure is crucial for Africa to fully harness the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, positioning the continent for technological and economic transformation.
“Our AI factory provides the infrastructure for this innovation to scale, empowering African businesses, startups and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure to turn their bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs and now they don’t have to look beyond Africa to get it,” he said.
“AI is helping innovators solve our greatest challenges in agriculture, healthcare, energy, financial services and many other industries creating opportunity in Africa,” said Jaap Zuiderveld, VP EMEA at NVIDIA. “As an NVIDIA Cloud Partner, Cassava is providing essential infrastructure and software to help pioneering companies and organizations accelerate AI development to foster innovation across the continent.”
Tech giants betting big on Africa’s digital future
Cassava Technologies is set to become the first company to introduce accelerated computing to Africa as an Nvidia cloud partner.
Meanwhile, global tech firms are also eyeing Africa’s digital future. Last year, Microsoft Corp. and G42, the UAE’s leading AI company, announced plans to invest $1 billion in a geothermal-powered data centre in Kenya.
This multi-year initiative is designed to expand cloud-computing capacity in East Africa, reinforcing the region’s potential as a growing tech hub.
