Africa-Press – Botswana. Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa is spearheading an ambitious push to enhance Africa’s artificial intelligence (AI) landscape through a substantial investment. His company, Cassava Technologies, plans to allocate $720 million toward building Africa’s first AI factory in collaboration with Nvidia Corp., a global leader in graphics processing units (GPUs).
Driving Africa’s AI Revolution
Masiyiwa, founder of Cassava Technologies, is no stranger to transformative projects. His telecom solutions company already operates globally with a significant focus on Africa, Latin America, and the United States. Cassava Technologies has invested in critical infrastructure, including fiber networks, data centers, renewable energy, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. In 2024, the company raised $90 million in funding, with Google as one of its key investors, to connect Africa and Australia via a subsea fiber-optic cable.
This latest venture into AI infrastructure underscores Masiyiwa’s belief in the transformative potential of AI for Africa. “AI will mint the next generation of African billionaires, and they will come from #Reimagining solutions for problems we deal with every day”, Masiyiwa wrote in a LinkedIn post, emphasizing the opportunities AI presents for innovation and economic growth on the continent.
Collaboration with Nvidia and Expanding Infrastructure
The planned AI factory will be developed in partnership with Nvidia Corp., which dominates 93% of the global GPU market. According to Bloomberg, the factory aims to serve university researchers, startups, and developers across sectors like health, fintech, and government by offering GPU renting opportunities. Cassava’s investment includes the deployment of 3,000 GPUs at data centers in South Africa, with plans to expand to Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco over the next four years.
Hardy Pemhiwa, president and group chief executive of Cassava Technologies, reinforced the importance of this initiative in an interview with Bloomberg. “If we don’t take the first step to deploy our own capital, however limited it may be, we can’t expect others to go first”, Pemhiwa said. “This is about ensuring that Africa doesn’t get left behind.”
A Growing Demand for AI Capacity
Masiyiwa reported strong demand for GPU capacity even before the project’s official launch. “Those who understand GPUs and how they are used [and believe me there are many African companies and entrepreneurs who do!] have already pre-ordered most of our initial capacity, ahead of our formal launch in a few months’ time”, he shared on LinkedIn. He added that the company is already planning the next phase of expansion to meet this demand.
Masiyiwa sees immense potential for AI-driven applications across a variety of industries. “It is from them we expect to see new AI applications with the potential to #Enable businesses in every field you can imagine: health services, education, gaming, cryptocurrencies, fintech, and agritech, along with other use cases we haven’t even BEGUN to imagine”, he explained. “I have done my bit by removing a big capital barrier in Africa.”
A Bold Step Forward
The $720 million investment highlights Cassava Technologies’ commitment to fostering innovation and ensuring Africa’s active participation in the global AI revolution. With Nvidia’s expertise and Masiyiwa’s visionary leadership, this project could pave the way for groundbreaking advancements and help position Africa as a key player in the future of AI technology.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
