Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader of African heritage, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the South African AI Association (SAAIA), an industry body focused on growing responsible AI adoption, to deliver artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaas) across the African continent.
In terms of the agreement, SAAIA’s more than 3,000 AI practitioners, comprising entrepreneurs, researchers, and members of the wider business community in South Africa, will have access to Cassava’s data centre GPUs to develop and deploy local AI solutions and initiatives. The two organisations will also collaborate on initiatives aimed at supporting the regional and broader African AI ecosystem.
“We are proud to partner with SAAIA to support the growth of Africa’s AI ecosystem. By extending our advanced AI infrastructure and capabilities to SAAIA’s growing community of AI professionals, we’re enabling greater access to the compute power required to build, test, and scale innovative local solutions. 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,” said Ziaad Suleman, CEO of Cassava Technologies South Africa and Botswana.
As South Africa’s leading AI ecosystem builder, the South African Artificial Intelligence Association is focused on promoting the advancement of responsible AI in the country by uniting thousands of AI practitioners across the commercial, government, academic, startup, and NGO sectors. SAAIA also hosts the largest AI event in Africa, AI Expo Africa, and serves as a driving force behind trade and investment in the continent’s rapidly expanding smart technology segment.
“SAAIA is pleased to be partnering with Cassava Technologies in strengthening AI in South Africa. Supporting local AI entrepreneurs is a key pillar of SAAIA, and access to GPU-as-a-Service is a key enabler to growing the emerging AI startup ecosystem,” said SAAIA Founder and Chairman, Dr Nick Bradshaw.
Cassava’s collaboration with SAAIA reinforces its commitment to providing world-class digital solutions and advancing responsible AI adoption, innovation, and growth in Africa. It follows Cassava’s recent announcement of plans to build Africa’s first AI factory, providing local businesses, governments, and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI computing capacity. This aligns with Cassava’s vision of being the leading digital solutions provider in its chosen markets, empowering Africans to thrive in the digital economy.
Africa Fact: In 1999 the BBC produced a television series entitled Millennium. The programme devoted to the fourteenth century opens with the following disclosure: “In the fourteenth century, the century of the scythe, natural disasters threatened civilisations with extinction. The Black Death kills more people in Europe, Asia and North Africa than any catastrophe has before. Civilisations which avoid the plague thrive. In West Africa the Empire of Mali becomes the richest in the world.”
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Wendy Luhabe\’s first step into entrepreneurship came in 1991 when she launched Bridging the Gap, a consulting firm that assists young black South Africans entering the working world. In 1993, she launched Women Investment Portfolio Holdings, the first fund to provide capital to women-owned businesses in South Africa. In 2002, she launched Africa\’s first Women-Focused Private Equity Fund. She also published her first book entitled: Defining Moments: Experiences of Black Executives in South Africa\’s Workplace. Luhabe launched her Foundation in 2002, to educate young disadvantaged black women, particularly from rural areas. In 2011, Luhabe was asked by Hillary Clinton to join the International Council on Women\’s Business Leadership (ICWBL). In 2014, she was appointed Member of the Board at The Abraaj Group, a global investment firm. In 2014, she was awarded Woman of Worth from the Jewish Achievers Awards in South Africa. In 2014, she was awarded the Lieutenant of the Victorian Order (LVO) by the British Royal Family. In 2015, she was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award at the Standard Bank Top Women Awards.