By Business Reporter-Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa has committed US$720 million to a landmark Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure project aimed at accelerating Africa’s digital transformation.
The initiative is being spearheaded by Masiyiwa’s Cassava Technologies in partnership with Nvidia, the global tech giant led by Jensen Huang, the world’s tenth-richest person.
The project will establish Africa’s first AI factory and marks a significant step in building the continent’s capacity in high-performance computing. Advanced Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have already been deployed in South Africa, the first African country to benefit from the technology. Cassava plans to expand the rollout to Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco.
“Collaborating with Nvidia gives us the advanced computing capabilities needed to drive Africa’s AI innovation while strengthening the continent’s digital independence,” said Masiyiwa.
At the Global AI Summit on Africa 2025, held in Kigali in April—where Masiyiwa served as co-chair—he emphasized the importance of youth-led innovation, calling Africa’s young people “digital natives” who now have the tools to turn bold ideas into real-world solutions.
Cassava will integrate Nvidia’s accelerated computing systems and AI software across its network, using Cloud Partner reference architectures.
According to Cassava Technologies president Hardy Pemhiwa, 3,000 GPUs will be installed in South Africa by June, with 9,000 more to be deployed over the next three to four years across other strategic markets.
Masiyiwa underscored the long-term vision of the project:
“Building digital infrastructure for the AI economy is a priority if Africa is to take full advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Our AI Factory empowers businesses, startups, and researchers to innovate at scale—without leaving the continent.”
Ranked as Africa’s 16th richest individual, Masiyiwa continues to lead efforts that position the continent at the forefront of global technological advancement.
Source: Online Reports