Cassava Technologies on Wednesday announced the deployment of an NVIDIA-powered AI Factory in South Africa, with plans to expand to Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco.
The company said the initiative will provide African businesses with access to high-performance computing, local-language models and sovereign AI tools designed to spur startups, jobs and innovation across multiple sectors.
Cassava’s group Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology & AI Officer, Ahmed El Beheiry said the project aims to empower African enterprises to become creators of technology rather than consumers.
“Our goal is to give Africa the infrastructure to write its own future, using its own languages – starting with Swahili, then expanding to languages such as Zulu and Afrikaans to better serve local users and markets – and data to build a digital legacy on its own terms,” Beheiry said.
The AI Factory builds on Cassava’s earlier launch of the Cassava AI Multi-Model Exchange (CAIMEx), a platform that allows developers to access and fine-tune large language models using NVIDIA Blueprints and microservices.
Cassava has also introduced its Autonomous Network blueprint, designed to improve network performance for mobile operators across the continent.
NVIDIA’s AI platform is widely used globally to accelerate artificial intelligence applications.
Its software frameworks have become the backbone of modern AI development, powering everything from generative models to autonomous systems.
By partnering with NVIDIA, Cassava is positioning Africa to tap into the same advanced infrastructure that drives innovation in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Cassava said the localised deployment of high-performance computing will remove traditional barriers to entry.
Sovereign AI factories, it added, will keep intelligence securely within borders, tune models to local cultures and languages, and foster economic growth.
The company said the offering will enable African enterprises and governments to innovate independently in sectors including telecoms, financial services, healthcare, mining, oil and gas and retail.
JN/APA