Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwean billionaire and founder of Cassava Technologies, has announced plans to establish five artificial intelligence facilities across Africa in a landmark $720 million investment. The initiative, backed by the company’s Sovereign AI Cloud strategy, aims to empower African nations to host their data and systems locally while reducing dependence on foreign infrastructure.
The first facility is already under construction in South Africa and will be powered by 3,000 Nvidia GPUs. Nvidia is embedding its AI software through its Cloud Partner reference architectures, enabling the centre to run high-performance supercomputing capabilities. Upon completion, the South African site will become one of the continent’s most advanced AI hubs.
Masiyiwa confirmed that additional facilities will be developed in Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, and Egypt, each equipped with thousands of GPUs to scale Africa’s AI infrastructure. While South Africa’s site is expected to go live by year-end, the other projects will roll out over the next three to four years.“Building digital infrastructure for the AI economy is a priority if Africa is to take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution,” said Masiyiwa, who has expanded Cassava’s portfolio from telecoms to fintech, cloud services, cybersecurity, and now artificial intelligence.
Once completed, the AI factories will be integrated into Cassava’s broader digital ecosystem, which includes Africa Data Centres, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, and Liquid C2. This interconnected network will provide businesses, startups, and researchers across the continent with unprecedented access to computing power and secure data storage.
The move comes at a critical time. Reports suggest only 5% of African AI talent currently has access to the high-performance computing power required to train advanced models. By developing localized infrastructure, Cassava Technologies is helping researchers and entrepreneurs build homegrown solutions in finance, education, healthcare, and agriculture sectors that stand to benefit most from AI adoption.
Earlier this year, Cassava launched a dedicated AI unit and partnered with global leaders including Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Anthropic to support developer training and innovation. With this latest $720 million bet, the company is positioning Africa not just as a consumer of AI, but as an active player in the global digital economy.
