The collaboration aims to drive technology infrastructure enhancements as the South African market ramps up AI investment.
STANLIB Infrastructure Investments, a renewable energy and digital infrastructure-focused fund, has struck a partnership with Cassava Technologies to expand digital infrastructure across South Africa. The deal was announced by STANLIB on 30 October.
The South African fund has given an unreported sum for Cassava Technologies subsidiary Africa Data Centres to grow its offering of AI-ready data centres across campuses in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Africa Data Centres currently runs seven data centre facilities across Africa, with a clientele of over 400 enterprise and hyperscale customers.
Cassava Technologies operates across 13 countries, with its primary client base in Eastern, Southern and South Africa. The company provides connectivity, colocation, hosting and digital services to media and content companies, mobile operators, carriers, enterprise and retail customers, and runs a 73,000 km independent fibre network, the largest in Africa.
STANLIB Infrastructure Investments was advised on the legal aspects of the arrangement by a team at Bowmans, led by partner James Westgate in Johannesburg. He was assisted by Michael Swartland in Cape Town, with fellow partners in Johannesburg consisting of Olivia Deckers, Michael Vermaak, Nadine Mather, Esther Geldenhuys, Julia Power, and executive Michael Rudnicki.
Andy Louw, STANLIB Infrastructure Investments co-head, said in a statement: “Data centres are critical infrastructure for the modern economy, and our investment will strengthen South Africa’s digital backbone, enabling ADC to contribute meaningfully to the country’s growth.”
Cassava Technologies President and CEO Hardy Pemhiwa added that the partnership “provides us the scale required to serve major hyperscalers and enterprises as they rapidly increase their demand for secure, high-capacity connectivity and cloud services across the region”.
Bowmans also added returning commercial property lawyer Ernest Maboko as a partner in its Johannesburg office in October this year.
