Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, through his company Cassava Technologies, plans to invest $720 million to build five artificial intelligence (AI) factories across Africa. This ambitious project aims to create a "Sovereign AI Cloud"to provide local, advanced AI infrastructure and reduce the continent's reliance on foreign cloud providers.

The first of these factories is already under construction in South Africa and will feature 3,000 Nvidia GPUs. The remaining four facilities are planned for Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco. If completed on schedule by late 2026, this initiative could significantly boost Africa's standing in the global AI industry by enabling local researchers and businesses to access the high-performance computing power needed to develop their own AI tools.

The new facilities will be seamlessly integrated into Cassava's existing digital network, which includes Africa Data Centres and Liquid Intelligent Technologies. This strategic move is expected to empower African innovation and foster the development of homegrown AI solutions across various sectors. The story is from Business Insider Africa.