Cassava Technologies has announced plans to launch the continent’s first AI Factory, powered by cutting-edge NVIDIA computing technology. The facility, which will begin operations in South Africa by June 2025, is set to revolutionize access to artificial intelligence infrastructure for African businesses, researchers, and governments. The AI Factory will operate as a secure, high-performance data center, equipped with NVIDIA GPU-based supercomputers capable of training and deploying advanced AI models at scale. 

Cassava’s facility will offer AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) using NVIDIA Cloud Partner (NCP) reference architectures, providing local developers with access to powerful computing resources without relying on infrastructure outside the continent. Expansion is planned across Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria, making it a truly pan-African initiative.

“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 and Executive Chairman of Cassava Technologies. “Our AI Factory empowers African startups, researchers, and institutions to innovate locally using world-class technology.”

This partnership unites two vastly different billionaires with a shared vision. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA and the tenth-richest person in the world, brings the technical horsepower, while Masiyiwa, Africa’s only telecoms billionaire, brings regional insight and ambition. Huang’s NVIDIA technology, used globally for powering generative AI models and advanced computing, will now play a critical role in enabling AI innovation across Africa.

Through this AI Factory, Cassava also emphasizes data sovereignty, ensuring that sensitive information is stored and processed within Africa in compliance with both local and international regulations. The data centers are designed with energy efficiency in mind, aligning with sustainable digital development goals.

“AI is helping innovators solve our greatest challenges in agriculture, healthcare, energy, and financial services,” said Jaap Zuiderveld, NVIDIA’s Vice President for EMEA. “Cassava’s infrastructure will accelerate Africa’s AI journey, unlocking new possibilities for businesses and communities across the continent.”