Africa-Press – Uganda. Zimbabwean telecoms mogul Strive Masiyiwa has committed $720 million to establishing Africa’s first network of artificial intelligence factories, aiming to address a critical infrastructure deficit that currently limits 95% of the continent’s AI talent.
Masiyiwa’s Cassava Technologies will invest up to $720 million in the venture, with company president Hardy Pemhiwa emphasizing the need for African leadership: “If we don’t take the first step to deploy our own capital, however limited it maybe, we can’t expect others to go first.”
The initiative addresses a stark reality highlighted by development organizations: only five percent of Africa’s AI talent currently has access to the computational power needed for complex tasks, with just 1% having on-premise facilities. This infrastructure gap has positioned Africa as a marginal player in global AI development despite the continent’s growing tech talent pool.
The first facility will launch in South Africa by June 2025, featuring 3,000 Nvidia graphics processing units that have already attracted reservations from African AI practitioners. Subsequent installations are planned for Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco within the following year.
Masiyiwa, who built his fortune through Econet Wireless and later expanded into continental telecommunications infrastructure, positioned the AI initiative as the natural evolution of his digital transformation work. The entrepreneur previously established Liquid Intelligent Technologies, now recognized as Africa’s largest independent fiber network.
The project leverages partnerships with major technology companies including Nvidia, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic. A recently announced Google Cloud agreement provides African enterprises with hybrid access to Google’s AI capabilities through both on-premises and cloud-based solutions.
Cassava’s “Sovereign AI Cloud” expansion represents a direct response to data sovereignty concerns across African nations. The initiative allows countries to maintain local control over AI infrastructure while accessing global technological capabilities, addressing regulatory and security considerations that have slowed AI adoption across the continent.
The timing proves significant as Africa’s AI market is projected to grow from approximately $4.5 billion in 2025 to $16.5 billion by 2030, driven by innovations in agriculture, healthcare, and finance. However, current continental AI investment represents just 1-1.5% of global spending, highlighting the funding gap Masiyiwa’s initiative aims to address.
Despite Africa’s potential, the continent contributes less than 1% of global AI research and development, largely due to limited digital infrastructure, skill shortages, funding constraints and fragmented policies. Nearly 40% of Africans still lack internet access, creating fundamental barriers to AI participation.
The AI factory concept extends beyond hardware provision to include comprehensive ecosystem development. Cassava’s broader technology portfolio, including Africa Data Centres and the newly established Cassava AI division, will support the infrastructure deployment and ongoing operations.
For African startups and researchers, the facilities promise to eliminate the need for expensive international cloud computing services or overseas collaboration requirements. This shift could accelerate indigenous AI development and reduce the continent’s dependence on external technological resources.
The initiative aligns with recent continental policy developments, as African leaders pledged to boost AI adoption at the first Global AI Summit in Kigali, backing a declaration for ethical, inclusive, and competitive AI growth.
Masiyiwa’s investment represents one of the largest private commitments to African AI infrastructure, potentially catalyzing additional international and regional investment. The project’s success could establish a template for technology infrastructure development across emerging markets facing similar computational resource constraints.
The businessman’s track record includes pioneering mobile telecommunications across Africa and developing high-capacity broadband networks, providing credibility for the ambitious AI infrastructure timeline. His companies currently operate across multiple African markets, offering existing infrastructure foundations for the planned AI facilities.
However, challenges remain substantial, including power grid reliability, skilled workforce development, and regulatory harmonization across the five target countries. Success will require coordination with national governments and local technology communities to ensure sustainable operations.
The announcement positions Cassava Technologies as a potential continental leader in AI infrastructure provision, competing with international cloud providers while offering locally controlled alternatives that address African data sovereignty requirements.
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