A major milestone in Africa’s tech evolution has been reached as Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa and Jensen Huang, CEO of U.S.-based Nvidia and one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, launch the continent’s first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI) factory.
The initiative is spearheaded by Masiyiwa’s Cassava Technologies in partnership with Nvidia, the global leader in graphics processing and AI computing. The new facility will feature thousands of Nvidia’s advanced GPUs, making it a core hub for African AI innovation and digital infrastructure.
Initial GPU installations have begun in South Africa, with plans to expand to Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, and Egypt in the coming years. Cassava has committed up to $720 million in investments to ensure the project scales across the continent.
“We’re empowering African innovators and startups to access world-class computing power—right here at home,” said Masiyiwa at the Africa AI Summit 2025 held in Kigali, Rwanda, where he co-chaired.
The factory is designed to provide developers, researchers, and entrepreneurs across Africa with local access to high-performance AI tools, which were previously available only through overseas data centers. It also marks a move toward digital sovereignty for the continent.
The deployment of 3,000 GPUs in South Africa is already underway, with another 9,000 GPUs scheduled to roll out in other countries over the next three to four years. Nvidia’s AI platform will be built using its cloud-based reference architecture, enabling seamless integration across various sectors.
Masiyiwa emphasized that the future of Africa’s economy lies in youth-driven innovation, particularly through AI-powered apps, businesses, and smart solutions.
“Africa must build the backbone of its AI economy now, or risk falling behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he added.
This groundbreaking project positions Africa to become a competitive player in global tech, and reflects a wider trend of investing in digital infrastructure as a foundation for economic transformation.