Cassava Invests $720 Million in AI to Advance Africa's Technological Independence

Cassava Technologies, a pan-African tech company established by Zimbabwean telecom tycoon Strive Masiyiwa, has revealed a $720 million investment plan to build five artificial intelligence (AI) centers across Africa. This move, part of the firm’s “Sovereign AI Cloud” vision, is designed to bring AI infrastructure to the continent and lessen dependence on foreign resources. The initiative will see the deployment of 12,000

graphics processing units (GPUs), with the initial center in South Africa already underway and expected to be finished by the end of the year. The other four centers, planned for Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, and Egypt, are projected to be completed within three to four years Technext24, [ 1 ].

The South African site will start with 3,000 Nvidia GPUs, while the remaining 9,000 GPUs will be distributed among the other four countries. Nvidia’s AI platform will be incorporated using its Cloud Partner reference designs, supporting advanced computing for AI model development Yahoo Finance, [ 2 ]. Hardy Pemhiwa, president and CEO of Cassava, stressed the necessity for Africa to lead in AI infrastructure: “If we don’t make the initial investment ourselves, even if it’s modest, we can’t expect others to take the lead. This is about making sure Africa isn’t left out.” Technext24, [ 1 ]

Masiyiwa, whose fortune is estimated at $1.3 billion, pointed out the project’s role in making AI tools more accessible. At present, only 5% of Africa’s AI professionals have access to the computing resources needed for sophisticated model training, and just 1% benefit from local facilities Africa-Press, [ 3 ]. By constructing these centers, Cassava seeks to provide African companies, entrepreneurs, and academics with state-of-the-art AI capabilities without relying on international cloud platforms. “Our AI factory delivers the foundation for innovation to grow,” Masiyiwa said, noting that surplus computing power could also be offered to Nvidia’s global cloud customers Yahoo Finance, [ 2 ].

This effort fits into wider strategies to strengthen Africa’s digital backbone. Cassava’s current network of data centers and its alliances with firms like Liquid Intelligent Technologies will help run the AI centers. The project follows the recent launch of Cassava’s specialized AI division, which has already formed partnerships with major tech players such as Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Anthropic Technext24, [ 1 ]. These collaborations are set to make AI tools more available to African developers, addressing a significant shortfall in the region’s digital landscape.

Experts observe that this funding tackles a major gap in Africa’s AI industry. Despite a growing pool of skilled professionals, Africa accounts for less than 1% of global AI R&D, hampered by infrastructure limitations, talent shortages, and fragmented regulations. With Cassava’s new AI centers, local startups and researchers could avoid the high expenses of overseas cloud services, boosting innovation in fields like healthcare, financial technology, and agriculture Africa-Press, [ 3 ]. The initiative also supports recent policy moves, such as the Global AI Summit in Kigali, where leaders committed to advancing responsible and inclusive AI development Africa-Press, [ 3 ].

The timing of this investment is crucial, as Africa’s AI sector is forecasted to expand from $4.5 billion in 2025 to $16.5 billion by 2030 Africa-Press, [ 3 ]. Yet, current AI spending in Africa makes up only 1-1.5% of the worldwide total, highlighting the importance of projects like Cassava’s. By integrating these AI centers into its extensive digital network, Cassava aims to build a self-reliant ecosystem that keeps data and expertise within Africa, enabling scalable solutions and strengthening the continent’s digital independence Technext24, [ 1 ].