Through such initiatives, Cassava Technologies aims to position itself as a leading digital solutions provider across its markets, empowering Africans to thrive in the digital economy.

Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology company, has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the South African Artificial Intelligence Association (SAAIA) to accelerate the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) throughout the African continent.

“We are proud to partner with SAAIA to support the growth of Africa’s AI ecosystem,” said Ziaad Suleman, CEO of Cassava Technologies South Africa and Botswana. “ We believe this partnership will deliver meaningful value to both organisations and, more importantly, to the business and research communities driving AI development on the continent.”

Under this strategic agreement, SAAIA’s network of more than 3,000 AI practitioners — including entrepreneurs, researchers, and business leaders — will gain access to Cassava’s advanced data centre GPUs. This powerful computing infrastructure will enable local innovators to build, test, and scale AI applications, strengthening the region’s technological capabilities.

Beyond access to GPUaaS, the partnership will foster joint initiatives aimed at supporting and nurturing Africa’s broader AI ecosystem.

As South Africa’s leading AI ecosystem builder, SAAIA plays a critical role in advancing responsible AI adoption across sectors, uniting thousands of professionals from academia, government, startups, and NGOs.

“SAAIA is pleased to be partnering with Cassava Technologies in strengthening AI in South Africa,” said Dr Nick Bradshaw, Founder and Chairman of SAAIA. “Supporting local AI entrepreneurs is a key pillar of SAAIA, and access to GPU-as-a-Service is a vital enabler for growing the emerging AI startup ecosystem.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely seen as a transformative technology that can address some of Africa’s most pressing challenges, including in healthcare, agriculture, financial inclusion, and education. However, many local startups and researchers lack the advanced computing infrastructure (such as GPUs) needed to develop and scale AI solutions.

According to the OECD, access to high-performance computing power is a significant barrier to AI innovation globally, particularly in Africa, where digital infrastructure gaps persist. By providing GPU-as-a-Service, Cassava and SAAIA are bridging this critical gap and enabling African innovators to compete on a global scale.

This partnership further reinforces Cassava’s commitment to delivering world-class digital solutions and driving responsible AI growth in Africa. It comes on the heels of the company’s recent announcement to build Africa’s first AI factory, an initiative designed to provide businesses, governments, and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI computing capacity.

Hikmatu Bilali