27 February 2026
Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop, deploy, and manage an innovative Operator-As-a-Service (OaaS) platform aimed at unlocking Africa’s potential in artificial intelligence (AI) and future digital opportunities. 
The collaboration was unveiled during the Counder Conference 2026 in Cape Town, an event dedicated to connecting visionary leaders and fostering collaborations that shape the continent’s technological future.
The alliance will enable customers and service providers to harness AXON’s AI-ready, digital twin-enabled platform over Cassava’s extensive high-speed fibre backbone, connecting millions of people and businesses across Africa. This initiative is poised to open new pathways for economic development and digital innovation across the region.
Cassava highlighted that the partnership responds to the growing need for cost-effective, flexible, and high-performance network solutions as businesses of all sizes accelerate their digital transformation. By working with AXON, Cassava aims to transition from traditional hardware-centric infrastructure to a programmable, AI-managed network that will significantly reduce operational costs and broaden access for customers and service providers.
The new AI-first connectivity platform is envisioned as a foundational element to accelerate digital transformation for African enterprises, including telecommunications service providers. It will deliver secure, private, high-speed data infrastructure, providing agility, intelligence, and expanded reach to mobile network operators, low Earth orbit satellite providers, and internet service providers.
Martin Manniche, CEO and founder of AXON, emphasized the transformative vision, stating, “We’re not just mirroring networks — we’re virtualising an entire infrastructure into a live AI-driven ecosystem that will leverage this extensive backbone, including Cassava’s planned AI-powered factory, to bring growth, prosperity, and the promise of AI sovereignty to Africa and its people.”
Cassava’s President and Group CEO, Hardy Pemhiwa, added that this digital transformation allows the company to treat its pan-continental fibre network as a dynamic platform, capable of provisioning and modifying customer networks in near real-time, rather than over days or weeks, enabling faster, more efficient service delivery across the continent.
