Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology provider, and Zindi, a data scientist professional network, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to expedite the adoption of graphics processing unit (GPU)-as-a-service (GPUaaS) and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions throughout Africa.
“For Africa’s AI ecosystem to grow and thrive, it’s essential to provide platforms and resources,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies.
“Combining our data centres’ advanced GPU capabilities with Zindi’s innovative data science platform creates a powerful foundation for digital advancement.” he added.
Cassava-Zindi partnership to equip African startups with resources to create AI solutions
The collaboration intends to equip African startups and developers with the resources and infrastructure required to create scalable AI solutions.
Zindi will use Cassava’s GPUaaS infrastructure to improve the development of its AI models through this partnership, and both companies will look into ways to cross-integrate platforms and increase access to talent, data, and innovation.
Zindi, which is reputed for organising AI challenges in collaboration with businesses, non-governmental organisations, and governments, views the collaboration as a means of enabling locally applicable AI solutions.
“Zindi is thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Cassava Technologies to strengthen African datasets, address local problems with locally developed solutions, and help more African AI builders access the resources they need to succeed,” said Celina Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Zindi.
Significance of AI in Africa’s digital economy
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, digital transformation is accelerating, and one of the main forces behind economic opportunity is artificialintelligence. By 2030, the UN estimates that AI could boost the region’s GDP by up to $1.5 trillion.
This amount emphasises how urgent it is to create the infrastructure, talent pipelines, and innovation ecosystems required to realise this potential.
In response to this opportunity, the Cassava-Zindi partnership is pertinent. Zindi’s pan-African network of data scientists and Cassava’s GPU-as-a-Service capabilities work together to directly support scalable, locally driven AI development, which is a crucial first step in enabling the region’s anticipated AI-driven growth.
Cassava’s goal to promote digital transformation in Africa
Cassava made this announcement after launching its AI business in 2024 and announcing its ambitious plans to construct Africa’s first AI factory. The Zindi partnership bolsters Cassava’s overarching goal of promoting digital transformation and responsible AI innovation throughout the continent.
Diverse datasets are essential for AI inclusivity and fairness. With Cassava powering the infrastructure and Zindi crowdsourcing local data challenges, the continent is well-positioned to develop AI tools that are sensitive to context.