Kathy Gibson reports – Cassava is using the first batch of 12 000 Nvidia GPUs it has secured to build the first of five African AI factories in Cape Town.
This week, the group has also been appointed as Africa’s first preferred Nvidia Cloud Partner (NCP), adding to its impressive portfolio of partnerships with global technology leaders.
Strive Masiyiwa, founder and group executive chairman of Cassava Technologies, adds that the group is already starting to work with mobile operators who will leverage the AI Factories.
Among the services Cassava will be able to offer their customers are free access to Google’s Gemini and access to Anthropic’s Claude.
This collaboration is built on two key offerings:
- A six-month extended trial of the Google AI Plus plan, provided by Google. This plan includes more access to Google’s most capable Gemini models, 200 GB of storage, video generation, Gemini in Gmail and Docs and higher limit for image generation.
- Data-free access to the Gemini app. Cassava will work with its extensive network of technology service providers to ensure that eligible users can use the Gemini app without consuming any of their mobile data.
“We’re proud to partner with Google to democratise access to digital solutions that empower people and businesses. This partnership underscores a shared vision to make AI more inclusive, accessible, and impactful across Africa’s rapidly digitising economies. It’s about shaping a smarter, more connected, and more competitive Africa,” says Hardy Pemhiwa, president and group CEO of Cassava Technologies.
To integrate service providers, Accenture has built a platform that mediates between the Cassava system and enterprises across Africa.
Masiyiwa points out that most of the continent’s universities already have access to Cassava’s compute. “And about two dozen startups in Africa have already come to us with real requirements.”
As Nvidia’s African NCP Cloud Partner, Cassava will be able to offer Africa’s first GPU-as-service.
The company also has access to Nvidia’s library of solutions.
“It’s not enough to just provide GPUs, operators want access to the library,” Masiyiwa says. “We have developed a solution for mobile operators’ radio access networks that could improve efficiency by 25%.
“We also have solutions for customer service and supply chain, as well as eight or nine user applications.”
The secure AI data centre facilities will be located in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco.
“Cassava’s commitment to growing Africa’s AI ecosystem is not just about technology; it’s about empowerment,” says Pemhiwa. “Securing the position as the first preferred Nvidia Cloud Partner in Africa enables us to play a crucial role in the continent’s AI ecosystem.
“At Cassava, we want to enable African businesses to emerge as leaders and innovators in AI, not just consumers. We want to empower Africa to write our own AI future, in our own languages, with our own data using local compute infrastructure.”