By 
Cassava Technologies, AXON Networks to Power Africa’s AI-Driven Connectivity Future
Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader of African heritage, has entered a strategic partnership with AXON Networks, a global leader in intelligent network platforms, to co-develop, deploy, and manage Africa’s first end-to-end Operator-as-a-Service (OaaS) platform.
RELATED: STANLIB backs Cassava Technologies to fuel AI-ready data centre expansion in South Africa
The partnership marks a major milestone in accelerating Africa’s digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, enabling customers and service providers to leverage AXON’s AI-ready, real-time, multi-tenant, and digital twin-enabled platform across Cassava’s extensive high-speed fibre backbone to connect millions of people and businesses across the continent.
Strategic Partnership Announced at Counder Conference 2026
The collaboration was unveiled at Counder Conference 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, the flagship gathering of the Counder visionary leadership network. The event brought together more than 500 global investors, family office principals, and corporate decision-makers, making it one of the largest international private capital conferences ever held in the Southern Hemisphere.
From Hardware-Centric Networks to AI-Managed Infrastructure
Commenting on the partnership, Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies, said the collaboration reflects a strategic shift away from traditional network infrastructure models.
“As businesses of all sizes continue to digitise their operations, the need is for cost-effective, flexible, high-performance network solutions that reduce time-consuming manual design and configurations. By partnering with AXON Networks, we are moving beyond hardware-centric infrastructure to create a truly programmable, AI-managed network that significantly reduces operational costs and expands access for customers and service providers.”
Pemhiwa noted that the transformation would allow Cassava to manage its pan-African fibre network as a dynamic digital platform, enabling near real-time provisioning and modification of customer networks rather than processes that typically take days or weeks.
Accelerating Digital Transformation for African Service Providers
The AI-first connectivity platform will serve as a foundation for digital transformation across Africa, supporting enterprises of all sizes as well as telecommunications service providers. The OaaS platform will deliver secure, private, high-speed data infrastructure for mobile network operators, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite providers, and internet service providers (ISPs).
Designed for agility and scale, the platform enables service providers to unlock new growth opportunities, improve service intelligence, and accelerate AI adoption across multiple markets.
Digital Twin Technology to Power Self-Optimising Networks
AXON’s OaaS solution creates a live digital twin of Cassava’s vast fibre network, which spans more than 110,000 kilometres of terrestrial and submarine fibre, alongside satellite capacity and wireless connectivity.
By virtualising the entire infrastructure into a self-learning, autonomous ecosystem, AXON’s digital twin technology reduces operational complexity, improves resilience, accelerates service delivery, and drives significant cost efficiencies at scale.
Enabling AI Sovereignty and Long-Term Economic Growth
Martin Manniche, CEO and Founder of AXON Networks, described the partnership as transformational for Africa’s digital economy.
“We’re not just mirroring networks — we’re virtualising an entire infrastructure into a live AI-driven ecosystem that will leverage Cassava’s extensive backbone, including its planned AI-powered factory. This creates a foundational platform for the AI economy, supporting growth, prosperity, and AI sovereignty across the African continent.”
Counder Conference as a Catalyst for Global Collaboration
Welcoming the announcement, Michel Weiss, Founding Partner and CEO of Counder, and Leonard Stiegeler, Founding Partner and Chairman, said the partnership exemplifies Counder’s mission to connect visionary leaders and drive tangible impact.
They noted that the collaboration highlights the growing role of Africa as a hub for innovation, investment, and next-generation digital infrastructure.
