By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader rooted in African heritage, has announced a strategic collaboration with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to enhance its sovereign AI capabilities throughout Africa.
Under the agreement, Accenture will utilize its AI Refinery platform and other technologies to develop sovereign AI solutions that take advantage of Cassava’s GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), housed in secure data centers accelerated by NVIDIA AI infrastructure.
These solutions will enable Cassava’s current and prospective customers to process AI workloads and data within national borders, adhering to local regulations.
Cassava plans to initiate its rollout in South Africa, with expansions planned for Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria. This phased approach aligns with Cassava’s ongoing development of additional data center facilities across Africa.
The company will leverage its pan-African, high-speed, ultra-low-latency fiber broadband network, which connects its energy-efficient data centers to support AI computing workloads.
“AI is creating exciting new opportunities for innovation, competitiveness, and growth across Africa,” said Mauro Macchi, CEO of Accenture for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. “With our extensive global experience in sovereign cloud and AI, Accenture will help Cassava deliver secure, scalable sovereign AI solutions and reimagine its operations. Together, we will empower organizations across the continent to adopt AI with confidence and unlock new ways to create value.”
“With our GPUaaS, Cassava aims to lead the continent’s AI revolution by offering businesses flexible access to computing power tailored to their needs,” said Ahmed El Beheiry, CEO of Cassava AI. “Our commitment is to ensure Africa has the infrastructure to compete in the AI era. AI is not just a technology story; it’s a nation-building story focused on inclusion. Partnering with Accenture allows us to leverage their expertise in developing a sovereign AI cloud tailored for the African market. This collaboration will enhance data governance, facilitate practical AI adoption across key industries, and ensure that we provide African solutions for African challenges.”
The partnership will integrate local context, languages, and cultural nuances into AI solutions, making them relevant and impactful for African enterprises in sectors such as financial services, mining, telecommunications, agriculture, and healthcare. This localized approach will strengthen compliance and trust while ensuring the technology reflects market realities, enabling businesses to innovate sustainably.
Cassava will invest in building the necessary infrastructure and platforms to support commercialization, focusing on scalability, security, and compliance. This initiative reinforces the company’s commitment to responsible AI adoption, innovation, and productivity growth in Africa.
Accenture is a leading global professional services company that assists businesses, governments, and organizations in building their digital core, optimizing operations, accelerating revenue growth, and enhancing citizen services, creating tangible value quickly and at scale.
Cassava Technologies, headquartered in the UK, provides a vertically integrated ecosystem of digital services and infrastructure to enable digital transformation across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the United States.
