Cassava Technologies and Nvidia to Revolutionize Africa’s AI Landscape

Cassava Technologies, founded by Zimbabwean telecom mogul Strive Masiyiwa, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Nvidia Corp. to establish Africa’s first artificial intelligence (AI) factory. This move positions Africa at the forefront of AI-driven innovation and economic transformation.

Cassava Technologies and Nvidia to Revolutionize Africa’s AI Landscape

Cassava Technologies will integrate Nvidia’s cutting-edge computing and AI software into its data centers across Africa, starting with South Africa, and later expanding to Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria. The AI factory is designed to provide high-performance AI computing resources to businesses, governments, and researchers, offering the necessary infrastructure to develop and deploy AI solutions within the continent.

According to a statement on Cassava’s website, the initiative will launch by June 2025, giving African enterprises access to supercomputers essential for AI model training, advanced inference, and AI-driven innovation.

“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.” – Cassava Technologies Statement

Africa’s Digital Independence and AI Innovation

Strive Masiyiwa emphasized that developing AI infrastructure is crucial for Africa’s technological and economic transformation, ensuring the continent does not lag behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“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.” – Strive Masiyiwa, Founder & Chairman of Cassava

Tech Giants Betting Big on Africa’s Digital Future

Cassava Technologies is set to become the first African company to introduce accelerated computing as an Nvidia Cloud Partner. The firm’s AI Factory will utilize Nvidia GPU-powered supercomputers to enable faster AI model training and deployment.

Other tech giants are also investing heavily in Africa’s AI infrastructure:

• Microsoft Corp. and UAE-based G42 announced a $1 billion geothermal-powered data center in Kenya.
• Cassava’s AI-powered data centers will enhance local AI innovation, ensuring that data remains secure and within Africa.

Sustainable AI Infrastructure for Africa’s Future

Cassava’s AI Factory will leverage the company’s pan-African high-speed, ultra-low-latency fiber-optic network and energy-efficient data centers to deliver AI as a Service (AIaaS). The initiative aligns with Africa’s sustainability goals by using less electricity to power AI workloads.

“AI is helping innovators solve our greatest challenges in agriculture, healthcare, energy, financial services, and many other industries. Cassava, as an Nvidia Cloud Partner, is providing essential infrastructure to accelerate AI development across the continent.” – Jaap Zuiderveld, VP EMEA at Nvidia

Conclusion: The Future of AI in Africa

The Cassava AI Factory marks a pivotal moment for Africa’s AI revolution, ensuring businesses and researchers have access to the AI computing power required to scale and innovate. By fostering local AI solutions, Africa is set to become a global AI powerhouse, driving digital independence and technological advancement.