Cassava Technologies has joined forces with NVIDIA to launch Africa's first AI factory, which will serve as an advanced data center to boost AI capabilities across the continent.

Masiyiwa's vision was inspired by a conversation he had seven years ago with prominent figures like Dangote and Obasanjo in Singapore, who encouraged him to pursue ambitious technological projects for Africa.

Masiyiwa believes that Africa can lead in AI adoption, similar to its rapid advancement in mobile banking, by developing local capabilities in AI training and deployment.

In late 2024, Cassava secured a significant $90 million equity investment from the US International Development Finance Corporation, Finnfund, and Google to bolster its growth efforts.

This initiative aligns with a broader trend where global tech companies are increasingly recognizing Africa's digital potential, exemplified by Microsoft's $1 billion investment in a geothermal-powered data center in Kenya.

Operations at this pioneering facility are expected to begin by mid-2025 in South Africa, with plans for additional sites in Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria.

Strive Masiyiwa, the founder of Cassava Technologies, highlighted the critical role of digital infrastructure in fostering an AI economy in Africa, aiming to empower local businesses and researchers.

Cassava Technologies operates an extensive 60,000-mile fiber optic network and renewable energy projects throughout Africa, enhancing its capacity to support AI initiatives.

Both Dangote and Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, were supportive of Masiyiwa's initiative, further motivating him to establish the AI factory.

Motivated by Dangote's successful $19 billion refinery project, Masiyiwa is now focused on raising funds to develop AI infrastructure in Africa, challenging the notion that the continent can only be a consumer of AI.

NVIDIA, valued at nearly $3 trillion, is a leader in AI software and hardware, particularly known for its graphics processing units (GPUs), which are essential for data science and high-performance computing.