Cassava Technologies Partners with Sand Technologies to Propel AI Growth Across Africa

The alliance aims to deliver scalable, accessible GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) to a wide spectrum of industries, fostering a competitive edge for African enterprises in an increasingly AI-driven global market.

Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology leader with a strong legacy rooted in African innovation, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sand Technologies, a global provider of enterprise AI solutions. This pivotal partnership, announced at the prestigious Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, marks a major step toward accelerating AI development and deployment across the African continent.

The collaboration is set to transform how African businesses access and utilize artificial intelligence (AI) by integrating Cassava’s powerful NVIDIA-powered GPU infrastructure with Sand Technologies’ AI expertise. The alliance aims to deliver scalable, accessible GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) to a wide spectrum of industries, fostering a competitive edge for African enterprises in an increasingly AI-driven global market.

Empowering African Innovation with GPU-as-a-Service

Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies, underscored the significance of the partnership, stating, “As more businesses across Africa seek to harness the potential of AI, the demand for powerful GPU processing capabilities is increasing. By providing Sand Technologies with access to Cassava’s GPU solutions, we are not only enabling them to develop advanced AI solutions for their clients across industries but also expanding Cassava’s own footprint into these industries.”

Cassava’s GPUaaS model will make AI infrastructure more affordable and scalable for startups, SMEs, and large organizations alike. This will empower African enterprises to build intelligent applications, automate operations, and leverage data insights, without the heavy capital expenditure typically associated with high-performance computing systems.

Sand Technologies: Delivering Enterprise-Ready AI

Sand Technologies, founded by renowned African entrepreneur Fred Swaniker, has a global footprint across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The company specializes in delivering tailored AI solutions to industries such as telecommunications, water and energy, healthcare, and insurance. With this partnership, Sand will harness Cassava’s GPU capabilities to create cutting-edge AI models and platforms for clients worldwide.

“Sand Technologies is proud to partner with Cassava in what is set to be a pivotal moment for the advancement of industry-related AI solutions on the African continent,” said Swaniker. “This partnership allows us to bring the best of Cassava's GPU processing power to our clients and position ourselves as leaders in supporting their digital transformation journeys.”

Driving Responsible AI Adoption and Sustainable Growth

This partnership aligns with both organizations’ shared vision of building a robust AI ecosystem that supports sustainable development, digital inclusion, and responsible innovation. The two companies plan to jointly identify pilot use cases and co-develop AI-powered solutions that address local challenges while maintaining global competitiveness.

These use cases will span multiple sectors—from smart utilities and predictive healthcare to AI-enabled financial services—demonstrating the transformative potential of home-grown AI solutions built on African infrastructure.

Cassava’s Broader Vision: Building Africa’s First AI Factory

The MoU builds on Cassava Technologies’ earlier announcement of its plan to establish Africa’s first AI factory. This ambitious initiative aims to provide governments, businesses, and academic institutions with access to top-tier AI computing power. The factory will serve as a center of excellence where African innovators can train models, develop AI applications, and accelerate digital transformation initiatives across the continent.

By combining the capabilities of the AI factory with Sand Technologies’ enterprise solutions, the partnership sets the stage for exponential growth in Africa’s AI landscape. It demonstrates Cassava’s commitment not only to technological innovation but also to inclusive digital progress.

A Catalyst for Africa’s AI-Driven Future

The strategic collaboration between Cassava Technologies and Sand Technologies represents a significant milestone in Africa’s digital evolution. It promises to bridge critical infrastructure gaps, enhance regional AI capacity, and support African enterprises in seizing the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

With world-class GPU infrastructure and a clear roadmap for AI deployment, Cassava and Sand Technologies are well-positioned to redefine Africa’s role in the global AI economy, making cutting-edge AI tools not just a promise, but a reality for businesses and communities across the continent.