In a groundbreaking announcement, Zimbabwean billionaire and founder of Cassava Technologies, Strive Masiyiwa, has revealed plans to launch Africa’s first AI factory, Project Mufungi, in partnership with Nvidia. This ambitious initiative, inspired by a conversation with Nigeria’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, aims to revolutionize the continent’s technological landscape.
Reflecting on the pivotal moment that sparked his vision, Masiyiwa recounted a coffee meeting in Singapore seven years ago with Dangote and Obasanjo. During this encounter, Obasanjo urged both men to “do bigger things for Africa.” This challenge resonated deeply with Masiyiwa, prompting him to expand his aspirations beyond his existing projects, such as the Liquid continental fiber network.
Masiyiwa was particularly motivated by a panel discussion he attended, where speakers asserted that Africa would remain a mere consumer of AI due to the prohibitive costs of computing power. “If Aliko can raise $19 billion for a refinery, surely I should be able to raise a few billion dollars to kickstart AI Compute in Africa,” he thought. Following discussions with Dangote and Afreximbank President, Prof. Benedict Oramah, Masiyiwa felt encouraged to pursue this transformative project.
Project Mufungi aims to establish high-performance AI computing infrastructure across Africa, with the first rollout set to begin in South Africa by June 2025. Expansion plans include Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria, providing local businesses and researchers with the necessary resources to develop homegrown AI models rather than relying on foreign infrastructure.
Masiyiwa emphasized the significance of this initiative in empowering African startups and researchers, stating, “Our AI factory provides the infrastructure for innovation to scale, ensuring that African businesses can turn their bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs without looking beyond the continent.”
As global technology firms increasingly focus on Africa’s digital infrastructure, Masiyiwa’s project stands to position the continent at the forefront of AI-driven innovation. He believes Africa has an opportunity to lead in AI adoption by fostering local capacity for training, computing, and deployment, much like it did with mobile money in banking.
With robust support from partners like Nvidia and Afreximbank, Project Mufungi is poised to catalyze further investments in Africa’s digital economy, bridging the AI divide between the continent and the rest of the world.
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