The continent is stepping up its artificial intelligence (AI) revolution with plans to build five regional AI data centres in the next year.

ITWeb reports that pan-African technology company Cassava Technologies aims to invest US$720 million in AI infrastructure over time and will build the five regional ‘AI factories’ in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco.

Announcing his company’s plans, founder and executive chairman of Cassava Technologies, Strive Masiyiwa, said it was also expanding its cloud-based AI offering to address the issue of data sovereignty.

‘We are now launching an expansion of what we call the “Sovereign AI Cloud”, which will allow every African country to have its own AI factory,’ he said.

The company has partnered with US chip maker Nvidia to expand access to computing power across the continent, therefore driving Africa’s involvement in the fourth industrial revolution.

‘Our AI factory provides the infrastructure for innovation to scale, empowering African businesses, start-ups and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure. Now they don’t have to look beyond Africa to get it,’ said Masiyiwa.

16 September 2025
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