Africa’s digital economy is expanding rapidly, but the infrastructure required to support it remains structurally underdeveloped. According to the World Bank, internet penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa remains below 40%, while data center capacity per capita is significantly lower than in Asia or Europe. This gap has created a strategic opening for infrastructure-focused firms such as Cassava Technologies.
Founded by Zimbabwean entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa, Cassava Technologies has positioned itself as a pan-African digital infrastructure provider, operating across fiber networks, cloud services, and data center development. The company’s strategy reflects a broader shift: control of digital infrastructure is increasingly being viewed as a matter of economic sovereignty rather than just commercial opportunity.
From Telecom to Infrastructure Ecosystem
Cassava Technologies emerged from the restructuring of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, one of Africa’s largest independent fiber network operators. The company now operates an extensive fiber backbone spanning more than a dozen African countries, connecting major economic hubs and landlocked markets to global internet exchange points.
This infrastructure layer is critical. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has repeatedly highlighted that broadband expansion is strongly correlated with GDP growth, with a 10% increase in broadband penetration linked to measurable economic gains in developing markets.
Cassava’s model is not limited to connectivity. It is building an integrated ecosystem that includes:
• Pan-African fiber optic networks
• Hyperscale data centers
• Cloud and enterprise solutions
This vertical integration allows the company to capture value across multiple layers of the digital economy.
Data Centers and the Sovereignty Question
A key pillar of Cassava’s strategy is its expansion into data centers through its “Africa Data Centres” subsidiary. The African Development Bank has noted that Africa accounts for less than 1% of global data center capacity, despite a population exceeding 1.3 billion.
This imbalance has historically forced African data to be stored and processed outside the continent, raising concerns around latency, cost, and regulatory control.
Cassava’s data center investments aim to address this gap by localizing data storage and processing. This has several implications:
• Reduced latency for digital services
• Lower operating costs for African tech companies
• Greater regulatory control over sensitive data
However, competition is intensifying. Global players such as Microsoft and Amazon Web Services are expanding their presence in Africa, raising questions about whether local firms can compete at scale.
Cloud Infrastructure and Market Positioning
Cloud adoption in Africa remains at an early stage. According to McKinsey & Company, cloud services penetration across the continent lags significantly behind global averages, largely due to infrastructure constraints and cost barriers.
Cassava is attempting to position itself as a regional alternative to global hyperscalers by offering localized cloud solutions tailored to African enterprises and governments.
This approach reflects a broader structural dynamic:
• Global cloud providers offer scale and capital
• Local firms offer proximity and regulatory alignment
The long-term outcome of this competition will likely determine who controls Africa’s digital value chains.
Constraint Layer: Capital Intensity and Competitive Pressure
Despite its strategic positioning, Cassava Technologies faces significant structural constraints.
Digital infrastructure is highly capital-intensive, requiring continuous investment in network expansion, data center construction, and energy supply. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has emphasized that infrastructure financing remains one of the largest bottlenecks to digital growth in Africa.
Additionally, the company must compete with well-capitalized global firms that benefit from scale advantages and established ecosystems.
This creates a dual pressure:
• High capital requirements
• Intensifying global competition
Maintaining competitiveness will require sustained investment, strategic partnerships, and regulatory support.
Power Dynamics: Infrastructure as Leverage
Control over digital infrastructure increasingly translates into geopolitical and economic influence. Governments are becoming more sensitive to where data is stored, who controls networks, and how digital services are delivered.
Cassava’s expansion aligns with this shift, positioning the company as a potential regional counterweight to foreign-controlled infrastructure.
At the same time, partnerships with global technology firms suggest that complete independence may not be feasible. Instead, hybrid models where local infrastructure integrates with global platforms are likely to define the sector.
Structural Outlook
Cassava Technologies is not simply a telecom successor it represents an attempt to build Africa’s digital backbone at scale.
The company’s trajectory highlights a broader reality: Africa’s digital economy cannot expand without parallel investment in infrastructure. Connectivity, data storage, and cloud computing are no longer optional layers they are foundational to economic participation.
Whether Cassava succeeds will depend less on demand which is growing and more on its ability to navigate capital constraints, compete with global hyperscalers, and align with evolving regulatory frameworks.
The stakes extend beyond one company. They reflect a fundamental question for the continent: who will control the infrastructure that underpins Africa’s digital future.
