Strive Masiyiwa’s Cassava strikes deal to support AI growth in Africa

Key Points

• Cassava, Zindi team up to power African AI with local data, talent, and GPU infrastructure. 
• Strive Masiyiwa’s tech empire backs Africa’s first AI factory, a $720 million project set for 2025 launch. 
• Cassava, Zindi partnership to boost AI jobs, train talent, and tackle fintech, health, and agriculture challenges with machine learning.

Cassava Technologies, a leading pan-African technology company, owned by Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Zindi, Africa’s largest network of data scientists, to advance artificial intelligence (AI) development and expand GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) across the continent. 

The partnership marks a strategic move by Cassava to deepen its commitment to digital transformation in Africa through scalable AI solutions. Under the agreement, Zindi will leverage Cassava’s high-performance GPU infrastructure to train and deploy AI models tailored for local challenges.

“Africa’s AI ecosystem must be empowered with infrastructure and skills to thrive,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies. “Our collaboration with Zindi offers a strong foundation for building local AI solutions that address the continent’s most pressing challenges.”

Zindi to tap Cassava’s data center muscle

Zindi, which has become a go-to platform for AI talent across Africa, said the collaboration would support the launch of new data-driven challenges and boost access to critical compute resources.

“This partnership is a catalyst for empowering African AI builders,” said Celina Lee, CEO, and co-founder of Zindi. “It will help bridge the gap between local innovation and the compute power needed to scale, while creating employment opportunities and new digital skills.” 

The initiative will also focus on developing stronger African datasets and accelerating the commercial application of machine learning across industries such as healthcare, fintech, and agriculture.

Africa’s first AI factory in the works

Cassava Technologies’ pact with Zindi comes after the 2024 launch of its AI unit and plans for Africa’s first AI factory, a $720 million project set to open in South Africa by June 2025.

The facility will offer cutting-edge AI computing for businesses, governments, and researchers, driving innovation in sectors like healthcare and fintech. Expansion to Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco is planned, signaling a bold pan-African AI strategy.

Masiyiwa, whose estimated net worth stands at $1.2 billion, has positioned Cassava Technologies as a central player in Africa’s digital future through ventures such as Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Africa Data Centers, and Cassava.ai. With this latest partnership, Cassava cements its role in enabling a homegrown AI ecosystem, signaling Africa’s intent to compete in the global AI race—not as an observer, but as a serious innovator.