Cassava Technologies announced plans to build Africa’s first AI Factory, a high-powered, secure data center leveraging NVIDIA’s AI computing technology.
The facility will give businesses, governments, and researchers access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure while keeping data within Africa’s borders.
Why it matters
The AI Factory will provide African innovators with the supercomputing power needed to train and scale AI models, fueling local solutions in agriculture, healthcare, energy, and financial services.
It positions Africa to compete in the global AI economy without relying on external computing resources.
The details
- Cassava will deploy NVIDIA accelerated computing and AI software at its South Africa data centers by June 2025.
- Expansion is planned for Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria.
- The AI Factory will run on Cassava’s high-speed, ultra-low-latency fiber-optic network and energy-efficient data centers.
- AI services will be delivered through an AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) model.
What they’re saying
- “Building digital infrastructure for the AI economy is a priority if Africa is to take full advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Strive Masiyiwa, Founder & Chairman of Cassava Technologies. “Our AI Factory ensures African startups and researchers can scale their innovations without looking beyond the continent.”
- “AI is solving major challenges across industries in Africa,” said Jaap Zuiderveld, VP EMEA at NVIDIA. “Cassava’s infrastructure will help pioneering companies accelerate AI development and drive innovation.”
The big picture
As Africa’s AI ecosystem matures, access to high-performance computing remains a key barrier.
Cassava’s initiative addresses this gap, providing a foundation for AI-driven growth while reinforcing the continent’s digital sovereignty.
