Communications

Cassava Technologies partners with SAAIA to power Africa’s AI future

Cassava Technologies and SAAIA join forces to boost AI development across Africa.

Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader with African heritage, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the South African Artificial Intelligence Association (SAAIA) to deliver advanced artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) across Africa

The strategic partnership aims to bolster AI development by giving SAAIA’s community of over 3,000 AI practitioners—including entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry professionals—access to Cassava’s state-of-the-art data centre GPU infrastructure. This will enable them to develop, test, and deploy AI applications that address local and regional challenges.

As part of the collaboration, Cassava Technologies and SAAIA will also work together on joint initiatives that support the broader African AI ecosystem, promoting innovation, research, and sustainable growth.

“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.

SAAIA, a leading force in South Africa’s AI landscape, is dedicated to promoting responsible AI by connecting AI practitioners from academia, government, private enterprise, startups, and NGOs. It is also the organiser of AI Expo Africa, the continent’s largest AI-focused event, and plays a key role in driving investment in Africa’s smart technology sector.

“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.

The partnership underscores Cassava’s commitment to advancing digital transformation across Africa. It follows the company’s recent announcement of plans to build the continent’s first AI factory, a move aimed at providing local businesses, governments, and academic institutions with access to cutting-edge AI computing capabilities. This initiative aligns with Cassava’s vision of becoming the leading provider of digital solutions across its markets and empowering Africans to thrive in the digital economy.

BridgeWise makes first move into Africa market

Africa_AI_investment_intelligence_BridgeWise

BridgeWise is making inroads into North Africa (Image source: Adobe Stock)

AI investment intelligence firm BridgeWise is making its first inroads into Africa

The company has just appointed Ayush Khatri as its new regional head for the combined Middle East, North Africa and Turkey area.

Based in Dubai, Khatri brings extensive experience in financial services, strategy and market development and will lead the company's regional operations, partnerships and growth initiative.

It follows the issue of a license from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to establish a regional hub, based in the UAE, which will service Africa and the other new territories, a move that will also continue the group’s recent global expansion strategy.

The UAE launch follows BridgeWise's expansion in Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America, furthering its mission to anchor in high-growth, innovation-driven capital markets.

In a statement, BridgeWise said the move marks a significant milestone in its global growth strategy and strengthens its presence in one of the world's most dynamic fintech ecosystems.

In tandem with the DIFC license, BridgeWise has also secured a strategic investment from Emirates NBD, one of the Middle East’s leading financial institutions, which it claimed “signals robust regional confidence in the company's mission to reshape digital investing with explainable AI.”

Founded in 2019, BridgeWise leverages proprietary generative AI and machine learning to deliver explainable, regulatory-compliant investment insights across 90% of listed global equities and ETFs — available in any language, including Arabic and Turkish.

The platform is already trusted by more than 50 institutional partners worldwide, including stock exchanges, banks, brokerage firms and wealth managers.

BridgeWise’s flagship tools include Bridget, the first AI-powered conversational assistant built for capital markets; Equitywise, a global stock intelligence engine offering personalised, multilingual insights; and Fundwise, a fund analysis tool offering deep visibility into over 12,000 ETFs and mutual funds.

“BridgeWise is proud to empower regional investors with smarter, more transparent investment insights — powered by explainable AI, in any language,” said Khatri.

“With our DIFC license and the strategic backing of Emirates NBD, we're committed to partnering with financial institutions across the region to deliver next-generation, AI-driven investment solutions.”

The group also has offices in Singapore, London, Brazil, Thailand, Japan, Israel and the USA.

LINX Mombasa boosts African connectivity

Digital_map_of_Africa_global network_and_connectivity

Mombasa is experiencing rapid interconnection growth and is among Africa’s most globally connected locations. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has officially launched LINX Mombasa, a new interconnection hub designed to enhance digital connectivity in Africa

Located within iColo’s MBA1 and MBA2 data centres, LINX Mombasa is a multi-site, interconnected Internet Exchange Point (IXP). It provides a resilient, future-ready platform for networks to exchange traffic efficiently, reducing latency and improving overall performance. This peering model ensures data remains closer to end users, offering greater control and reliability.

Strengthening Africa’s digital infrastructure

Mombasa is experiencing rapid interconnection growth and is among Africa’s most globally connected locations. The city is linked to seven submarine cables that connect Kenya to Africa’s coastline, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Following the successful launch of LINX Nairobi, this expansion marks LINX’s continued commitment to supporting African digital ecosystems. LINX Mombasa will serve both content delivery networks and local ISPs, offering an alternative interconnection point with added services on a robust and redundant network.

Nurani Nimpuno, LINX head of global engagement, stated, "We are thrilled to be extending our synergies with iColo with whom we have had a successful journey at LINX Nairobi. We were seeing a demand for LINX services in Mombasa when we came to Kenya, and I am very pleased we can now start delivering the same value here.”

LINX is the first IXP to establish a presence in both Nairobi and Mombasa. Its technical infrastructure mirrors that of LINX Nairobi, incorporating Nokia switches for seamless connectivity.

Ranjith Cherickel, founder & CEO of iColo, added, "We are delighted to host LINX Mombasa at our highly connected data centre facilities; MBA1 and MBA2. This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing best-in-class infrastructure and services that drive digital transformation in Africa. The new IXP will create significant opportunities for partnerships, innovation, and growth in the region.”

With the addition of LINX Mombasa, peering traffic in the region is set to rise, reinforcing Mombasa’s status as the Gateway to East Africa.

Also read: MTN pioneers eSIM technology in South Sudan

Starlink drives LEO satellite market expansion

Starlink's graph representing rise in subscribers

Starlink’s rapid growth reshapes the LEO satellite market as competition with Project Kuiper intensifies. (Image source: Dataxis)

Starlink, a pioneer in the LEO satellite market, is accelerating its growth with ambitious plans to deploy more satellites and expand its network capacity. The company aims to have over 6,500 satellites in orbit and 5 million customers by the end of 2024

To attract even more users, Starlink is experimenting with lower-cost plans and equipment.

According to Carlos Blanco, principal analyst at Dataxis, competition looms as Amazon’s Project Kuiper prepares to enter the market in early 2025. Amazon faces the significant challenge of deploying its satellite fleet and carving out a commercial presence. Both Starlink and Project Kuiper are expected to exhibit extensive vertical integration, potentially making it tough for competitors to rival their dominance. This dynamic signals a new era in the golden age of LEO satellites, driven by ambitious strategies and increasing competition.

SpaceX, Starlink's parent company, operates across the entire value chain—designing and manufacturing satellites and launchers, providing user equipment, managing distribution logistics, and running the service. Such comprehensive vertical integration is unprecedented in the industry.

For 2024, SpaceX has set an aggressive target of 148 launches, 50 more than its 2023 tally. This schedule averages one mission every two and a half days. By October, SpaceX had already completed 108 launches, with just one failure. Of these, 74 missions were dedicated to deploying Starlink satellites, adding 23 units per mission and totaling 1,700 new satellites in just ten months.

TelCables CEO among Nigeria's telecom icons

Fernando Fernandes's photo on a digital banner

Fernando Fernandes recognised in ATCON’s 100 Leading Telecoms & Digital Economy Personalities list for innovation and leadership in Nigeria. (Image source: Tech Africa news)

TelCables Nigeria CEO, Fernando Fernandes, has been recognised as one of the 100 Leading Telecoms & Digital Economy Personalities in Nigeria by the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON)

This prestigious accolade will be featured in ATCON’s flagship publication, 100 Leading Telecoms & Digital Economy Personalities in Nigeria, set to launch during the association’s 31st Anniversary event on December 6, 2024, in Lagos.

First introduced in 2018, the ATCON book celebrates influential figures who have spearheaded innovation, growth, and creativity in Nigeria’s telecommunications and ICT industries. Fernando Fernandes’ inclusion underscores his outstanding leadership and the transformative role TelCables Nigeria has played in reshaping the nation’s telecommunications landscape.

“It is an honour to be recognised among the leading personalities who have shaped the future of Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital economy,” said Fernando Fernandes. “This achievement is not just a personal milestone but a testament to the hard work, dedication, and collaborative efforts of the entire TelCables team. We remain committed to driving innovation and growth in the sector.”

ATCON president Olusola Teniola highlighted that the publication profiles individuals whose innovative contributions have earned both local and international acclaim, driving the development of Nigeria’s telecom and ICT industries.

This acknowledgment reinforces TelCables’ leadership in the Nigerian telecom sector and bolsters Fernando Fernandes’ standing as a pivotal figure in advancing the industry.

Qualcomm supports African tech

A_map_on_the_globe_representing_global_connectivity

Paratus Group partners with Green Telecom to launch Paratus Tanzania, boosting East African connectivity for tourism, mining, and enterprise sectors. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Paratus expands to power Tanzania’s connectivity

Two_Africa's_young_people_show_thumbs_up_while_mobile_money_transaction

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most active region for mobile money, with East and West Africa seeing the highest growth in registered accounts and monthly usage. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Africa leads mobile money growth – GSMA report

Respresentatives_of_Kaspersky_and_SmartAfrica_holding_partnership_agreement

Kaspersky and Smart Africa collaborate to enhance cybersecurity skills, policies, and infrastructure, strengthening Africa’s digital security landscape. (Image source: Kaspersky)

Redefining cybersecurity for Africa’s digital age

By MTN South Sudan and NCA, launching eSIM technology for improved connectivity and customer experience in South Sudan’s telecom industry. (Image source: Adobe Stock)