Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa will invest $720 million to build five AI factories in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco through his company Cassava Technologies.
The first facility, under construction in South Africa, will run on 3,000 Nvidia processors, with much of its computing power already booked by African researchers and developers. The initiative is part of Cassava’s “Sovereign AI Cloud” strategy to give African markets local access to advanced AI infrastructure and reduce reliance on overseas providers.
“Our AI factory provides the infrastructure for innovation to scale,” Masiyiwa said. “Now African businesses, start-ups, and researchers don’t have to look beyond Africa to get it.”
Cassava’s network—including Africa Data Centres, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, and Liquid C2—will connect the factories, supporting sectors such as finance, health, education, and agriculture. All five sites are expected to be operational by late 2026.
