NVIDIA Invests in Cassava Technologies to Accelerate Africa’s Digital and AI Growth

Global chipmaker NVIDIA has made a strategic investment in Cassava Technologies, a pan-African digital infrastructure company, in a move set to strengthen the continent’s technology backbone and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

The partnership marks one of the most significant collaborations between a global AI leader and an African-founded technology group, signaling growing investor confidence in Africa’s expanding digital economy.

A Major Step in Africa’s Digital Evolution

Announcing the deal, Cassava Technologies President and Group CEO, Hardy Pemhiwa, described the investment as “a key milestone” that will help the company scale up its services and bridge the continent’s digital divide.

“We believe this partnership will unlock further value and accelerate our expansion in digital infrastructure and services across Africa,” Pemhiwa said.

While details of the investment were not disclosed, analysts note that NVIDIA’s involvement positions Cassava among a select group of African tech firms attracting direct backing from global technology giants.

Cassava’s Growing Influence Across Africa

Headquartered in London and rooted in Africa through the Econet Group, Cassava Technologies operates across more than 25 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Its diverse portfolio includes:

• Liquid Intelligent Technologies – operator of Africa’s largest independent fiber network spanning over 110,000 kilometers.
• Africa Data Centres – one of the continent’s largest networks of data centers, with key sites in Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, and Accra.
• Liquid C2 – provider of cloud computing and cybersecurity solutions.
• Cassava.ai – offering AI-powered digital services tailored for African enterprises.
• Sasai Fintech – delivering mobile payments and financial technology solutions to millions of users.

These subsidiaries collectively support Africa’s growing demand for high-speed connectivity, cloud adoption, and data-driven innovation.

The investment underscores NVIDIA’s expanding footprint in emerging markets and highlights Africa’s rising role in the global AI and digital transformation race. As industries across the continent modernize, there is increasing demand for data processing, cloud storage, and machine learning tools to improve productivity and access to information.

According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Africa’s digital economy could contribute up to $712 billion to the continent’s GDP by 2050 — but realizing that potential requires stronger infrastructure and access to advanced computing power.

By supporting Cassava’s operations, NVIDIA’s involvement could accelerate this shift, boosting data center capacity and supporting the adoption of AI-driven solutions across sectors such as agriculture, health, logistics, and education.

A Network of Global Backers

Cassava’s growing investor network now includes a blend of international and African financial powerhouses such as British International Investment, Finnfund, Afreximbank’s FEDA, Gateway Capital, Google, IFC, the Public Investment Corporation (South Africa), and Royal Bafokeng Holdings.

Industry observers say NVIDIA’s entry adds a new dimension — linking Cassava’s African infrastructure capabilities with global advances in AI and cloud computing.

“This partnership could help local businesses access next-generation tools while keeping Africa’s data within the continent,” noted a regional tech policy analyst based in Accra.

Ghana’s Place in the Digital Shift

Ghana, one of Cassava’s key markets, stands to benefit from the expansion. The company’s Africa Data Centres facility in Accra supports cloud hosting for local enterprises and government digitalization efforts. With AI and fintech innovation growing — from health startups using predictive models to banks adopting chatbots — partnerships like this could help Ghana scale its digital ambitions under the Digital Ghana Agenda.

As Africa’s technology infrastructure matures, partnerships between global and local players are expected to increase. The NVIDIA-Cassava collaboration represents more than just an investment — it signals confidence in Africa’s ability to shape its own digital future.

If successfully implemented, the partnership could accelerate Africa’s transition from a consumer of technology to a producer of digital innovation. The challenge now lies in ensuring equitable access to these technologies so that the benefits of digital transformation reach all corners of the continent.

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