Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop and deploy Africa’s first end-to-end Operator-as-a-Service (OaaS) platform.
Unveiled on January 28, 2026, at the Counder Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, this initiative integrates AXON’s AI-ready, real-time, multi-tenant, digital twin-enabled technology with Cassava’s extensive pan-African infrastructure network.
Cassava’s network encompasses more than 110,000 kilometres of high-speed fibre (terrestrial and submarine), satellite capacity, and wireless connectivity, serving as the foundational backbone for the platform.
The OaaS solution enables service providers to provision, modify, and manage customer networks in near real-time, shifting from hardware-centric models to programmable, intelligent infrastructure.
Technological Foundation and Key Capabilities
The platform leverages AXON’s advanced orchestration capabilities, including real-time digital twin technology that creates virtual representations of physical networks for predictive management, automation, and optimisation.
Combined with Cassava’s infrastructure, it delivers secure, private, high-speed data services with unprecedented agility.
This architecture supports mobile network operators, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite providers, and internet service providers by allowing dynamic resource allocation, reduced provisioning times, and AI-driven self-optimisation.
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The result is a significant reduction in operational complexity and costs, while enhancing network reliability and scalability.
By partnering with AXON Networks, we are moving beyond traditional hardware-centric infrastructure to create a truly programmable, AI-managed network, which will significantly reduce operational costs and increase access to customers and service providers
Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies
We’re not just mirroring networks; we’re virtualising an entire infrastructure into a live AI-driven ecosystem that will leverage this extensive backbone to bring growth, prosperity, and the promise of AI sovereignty to Africa.
Martin Manniche, CEO and Founder of AXON Networks
Benefits for Telecom Operators and Service Providers
For telecom operators, the OaaS model offers several strategic advantages:
- Near real-time service provisioning and configuration, accelerating time-to-market for new offerings.
- Lower capital and operational expenditures through virtualisation and automation, reducing reliance on physical hardware upgrades.
- Enhanced support for AI workloads, including edge computing and data-intensive applications, facilitating broader AI adoption across enterprises.
- Improved network resilience and security via AI-managed optimisation and multi-tenant capabilities.
This positions smaller and mid-sized providers to compete more effectively by accessing world-class infrastructure without the burden of building or maintaining extensive physical assets.
Broader Implications for Digital Transformation in Africa
The partnership accelerates continent-wide digital transformation by democratising access to intelligent connectivity.
It supports economic development through improved broadband availability, enabling sectors such as education, healthcare, finance, and agriculture to leverage AI and cloud services more effectively.
By encouraging AI sovereignty and ensuring African data and AI workloads remain under local control, the platform contributes to strategic autonomy in digital infrastructure.
It also aligns with broader goals of inclusive growth, connecting underserved regions and unlocking new opportunities for innovation and prosperity.
Looking Ahead
Africa’s inaugural Operator-as-a-Service platform, born from the Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks collaboration, represents a pivotal advancement in telecommunications infrastructure.
By transforming extensive physical networks into programmable, AI-orchestrated ecosystems, it promises reduced costs, greater agility, and accelerated AI integration for operators and enterprises alike.
As of January 29, 2026, this initiative strengthens the foundation for scalable, intelligent connectivity across the continent, driving economic and technological progress.
For the most current details, consult official announcements from Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks.
Cassava Technologies Overview
Cassava Technologies is a privately held global technology group focused on digital infrastructure, cloud, data centres, fintech and cybersecurity, and is not publicly listed so there isn’t a Cassava Technologies share price or stock ticker like for public companies.
The Cassava Technologies CEO (President & Group Chief Executive Officer) is Hardy Pemhiwa, who leads strategy and operations across its business units.
The company was founded by Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean tech entrepreneur who serves as Executive Chairman and whose Econet Group is a principal backer.
Cassava Technologies is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operational presence in multiple regions including Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the U.S. through its units such as Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Africa Data Centres.
Ronnie Paul is a seasoned writer and analyst with a prolific portfolio of over 1,000 published articles, specialising in fintech, cryptocurrency, and digital finance at Africa Digest News.
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