Cassava Technologies has partnered with AXON Networks to launch Africa’s first end-to-end Operator-as-a-Service (OaaS) platform, marking a major shift in how connectivity infrastructure is built, managed, and delivered across the continent.
The new platform, which is AI-first by design, will allow businesses, telecom operators, and internet service providers to deploy and manage network services on demand, without relying on traditional hardware-heavy infrastructure. By combining Cassava’s pan-African fibre footprint with AXON’s AI-driven network intelligence, the partnership aims to accelerate digital transformation and support the next phase of Africa’s AI economy.
The collaboration was announced at the Counder Conference 2026 in Cape Town, a global private capital and leadership gathering that brings together investors, corporate leaders, and technology executives.
Moving beyond traditional telecom infrastructure
At the core of the partnership is AXON’s AI-ready, real-time, multi-tenant platform, which uses digital twin technology to create a live virtual model of Cassava’s physical network infrastructure. This allows networks to be designed, monitored, optimised, and reconfigured in near real time, significantly reducing deployment timelines and operational costs.
Cassava’s fibre network spans more than 110,000 kilometres of terrestrial and submarine fibre, alongside satellite capacity and wireless connectivity. By turning this infrastructure into a programmable digital platform, the company says it can provision customer networks in minutes or hours rather than days or weeks.
According to Cassava Technologies’ President and Group CEO, Hardy Pemhiwa, the partnership reflects a deliberate move away from static, hardware-centric networks toward software-defined, AI-managed connectivity.
As African businesses increasingly digitise their operations, Pemhiwa noted that flexibility, cost efficiency, and performance have become essential. The OaaS platform, he said, positions Cassava not just as a connectivity provider but as a long-term digital transformation partner for enterprises and service providers.
Enabling AI adoption and service provider growth
The Operator-as-a-Service platform is designed to support a wide range of users, including mobile network operators, low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite providers, internet service providers, and large enterprises. By offering secure, private, high-speed data infrastructure that can scale dynamically, the platform is expected to lower barriers to entry and unlock new growth opportunities across the telecoms and digital services ecosystem.
AXON Networks’ CEO and founder, Martin Manniche, described the deployment as more than a network upgrade. He said the platform effectively virtualises an entire pan-African infrastructure into a living, AI-driven system that can learn, self-optimise, and operate autonomously.
The use of digital twin technology allows operators to simulate network changes, predict failures, and optimise performance before making physical adjustments. This approach, AXON says, improves resilience, reduces complexity, and supports faster service innovation at scale.
A foundation for Africa’s digital and AI economy
Beyond connectivity, the partnership positions the OaaS platform as foundational infrastructure for Africa’s broader digital and AI ambitions. With Cassava also investing in AI-enabled data centres and advanced computing facilities, the platform is expected to support emerging use cases across fintech, cloud services, smart cities, enterprise IT, and AI-powered applications.
As regulatory pressure, data localization requirements, and AI workloads increase across the continent, programmable and intelligent network platforms like OaaS could play a central role in shaping Africa’s next phase of digital growth.
