Cassava Technologies has secured an investment from NVIDIA, marking a significant milestone in the pan-African technology firm’s ambitious plan to build the continent’s first artificial intelligence factory. The announcement positions the UK-headquartered company to accelerate expansion of its digital infrastructure and services across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies, described the investment as an important milestone that would unlock additional value and catalyze further expansion of digital infrastructure to bridge the continent’s digital divide. The broader AI factory initiative involves a potential $720 million investment to deploy 12,000 NVIDIA GPUs across South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco over the next three to four years, with the first phase already launched in South Africa in June 2025.
The investment adds NVIDIA to an impressive roster of backers that now includes Econet Group, British International Investment, Finnfund, Fund for Export Development in Africa, Gateway Capital, Google LLC, International Finance Corporation, Public Investment Corporation and Royal Bafokeng Holdings. This constellation of global and African institutional investors signals growing confidence in Cassava’s vision for transforming the continent’s digital landscape.
Cassava operates through a diversified portfolio spanning Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Africa Data Centres, Liquid C2, Cassava.ai and Sasai Fintech, collectively providing digital solutions in 94 countries. The company’s offerings cover cloud services, data centers, artificial intelligence solutions and fintech products, positioning it as a leading technology provider of African origin with genuinely global reach.
The AI factory concept represents more than just powerful computers. It provides the supercomputers and software needed to train artificial intelligence while keeping data within Africa’s borders, addressing concerns about data sovereignty that have long complicated technology adoption across the continent. For African businesses, governments and researchers, this means access to cutting-edge AI computing capacity without shipping sensitive data overseas.
Last year, Cassava secured a $310 million funding package, including $90 million in equity from the Development Finance Corporation, Google and Finnfund, aimed at expanding its fiber and data center network. That round was supplemented by a $220 million debt refinancing agreement for Liquid Intelligent Technologies, coordinated by Standard Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, Nedbank and the International Finance Corporation.
This pattern reveals a two-phase strategy: first, secure capital to lay foundational connectivity and data center infrastructure. Second, leverage that foundation to build and deploy high-value services like artificial intelligence. The NVIDIA investment solidifies Cassava’s positioning as a foundational platform for Africa’s emerging AI economy.
Liquid Intelligent Technologies operates one of Africa’s largest independent fiber networks, spanning over 110,000 kilometers. Africa Data Centres provides the physical facilities that will house the new AI infrastructure, with a stated focus on energy efficiency, a critical factor for power-hungry AI chips. Liquid C2 and Cassava.ai offer the cloud, cybersecurity and AI-specific platform services that will run atop the hardware, while Sasai Fintech represents a key potential customer for the new AI capabilities.
The timing matters enormously. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has coined the term “AI factory” to describe specialized environments equipped with infrastructure needed to manage a complete AI lifecycle, where raw data enters and trained AI emerges. These facilities streamline development of AI systems by bringing together data pipelines, algorithm development and model experimentation into one optimized ecosystem.
African universities and research institutions have historically struggled with access to advanced computing resources. The cost of NVIDIA chips remains out of range for most academics, limiting the continent’s ability to participate meaningfully in AI research and development. The new infrastructure promises to democratize research and experimentation, allowing African talent to compete on more equal footing with global counterparts.
The initiative will provide AI-as-a-Service to local startups, enterprises and governments, enabling them to accelerate digital innovation across key sectors including healthcare, fintech and agriculture. By building local AI infrastructure, Cassava aims to reduce dependence on foreign data centers while fostering sustainable AI growth rooted in African needs and contexts.
The project arrives at a moment of shifting global strategy around African infrastructure. While China’s Belt and Road and Digital Silk Road programs have funded state-led initiatives across the continent, the United States is promoting what the White House calls “commercial diplomacy,” focusing on private investment and expanded trade to build long-term digital partnerships.
NVIDIA’s presence in African data center space may reflect broader efforts by US companies to counter China’s growing influence in AI systems. While Chinese platforms like DeepSeek R1 and Qwen offer lower-cost models, American companies maintain advantages in hardware performance. That performance edge, especially in GPUs and supercomputing, could prove decisive in shaping AI infrastructure globally.
For Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean telecommunications tycoon who founded Cassava Technologies, this represents perhaps his boldest vision yet. From humble beginnings, he built Econet Wireless, a telecom giant serving millions across Africa, and created Liquid Intelligent Technologies. Cassava Technologies, with ventures spanning mobile payments, renewable energy and ride hailing, extends his four-decade career building African technology companies.
His move into AI infrastructure could become his most significant legacy, positioning Africa to finally claim its place in the global technology landscape. The continent has historically contended with receiving secondhand technology infrastructure, arriving long after initial deployment elsewhere. This partnership aims to change that dynamic fundamentally.
The company said it plans to leverage the funding to enhance digital infrastructure, expand service offerings and strengthen partnerships with governments, enterprises and customers across its markets. For African policymakers watching closely, the question becomes whether this infrastructure can catalyze broader economic transformation or simply creates another layer of dependency on external technology providers.
What’s becoming clear is that Africa’s digital future won’t be built through charity or aid programs alone. It requires substantial private capital, cutting-edge technology partnerships and African-led execution. Cassava’s expanding investor base and NVIDIA’s backing suggest that narrative is gaining traction among serious global technology players.
The real test comes in execution. Building data centers is one thing; creating a thriving ecosystem of AI applications, trained talent and innovative businesses is quite another. Success depends not just on deploying GPUs, but on fostering the entire support structure needed for AI development to flourish across diverse African contexts.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
