Cassava Technologies targets government AI market with Africa sovereign cloud platform

Cassava Technologies has launched a national sovereign cloud platform aimed at helping African governments deploy artificial intelligence services while keeping sensitive national data within their borders.

The company said on Thursday the National Sovereign Cloud (NSC) would provide governments with locally governed digital infrastructure, including cloud services, cybersecurity, AI computing capacity and locally trained language models for public sector applications.

The move comes as governments across Africa accelerate digital transformation programmes but face growing concerns over data sovereignty, cyber threats and reliance on foreign technology infrastructure.

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Cassava said the platform would enable countries to host and manage sensitive government data domestically while supporting the rollout of AI-powered services across sectors such as public administration, payments systems and citizen engagement.

“Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign,” said Ahmed El Beheiry, group chief operating officer and chief technology and AI officer at Cassava Technologies.

“Our National Sovereign Cloud solution enables governments to develop secure AI and cloud environments that support national digital transformation.”

The platform combines sovereign cloud infrastructure with advanced AI computing and secure connectivity, allowing governments to run applications ranging from conversational AI for citizen services to local-language artificial intelligence models.

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Cassava said the system would also include a national AI institute component aimed at developing digital skills among public sector workers, businesses and developers.

The company added that the platform would support financial services infrastructure, including payment and remittance systems, as governments push broader financial inclusion and digital service delivery.

African policymakers have increasingly prioritised local data governance, driven by concerns that critical national information is often hosted in foreign data centres.

Cassava, which operates businesses including Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Africa Data Centres and Sasai Fintech, said the sovereign cloud strategy is designed to create secure digital ecosystems that allow governments to build and deploy AI applications locally.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom but founded in Africa, the company provides digital infrastructure and technology services in 94 countries, spanning Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the United States.

The launch was announced on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where technology firms are competing to position themselves as partners in governments’ AI and cloud infrastructure strategies.