Hi Ayodele here,

Over the past week, we have seen new steps pushing Africa’s AI development forward. Google and Cassava partnered to make Gemini easier to access, leaders gathered at the Africa Tech Festival to discuss responsible AI, and Cassava introduced a new platform to help mobile operators use different AI models. Together, these updates show steady progress toward wider and more inclusive AI adoption across the continent..

Let us get into it. In this edition:

• Google and Cassava partner to bring Gemini to millions across Africa

• Africa Tech Festival 2025: Government and Tech Leaders Unite on Responsible AI

• Cassava Launches CAIMEx: Africa’s First Multi-Model AI Platform for Mobile Operators

Around Africa

Google and Cassava partner to bring Gemini to millions across Africa

Google has teamed up with Cassava Technologies to offer free data access to its Gemini AI app across Africa while launching a six-month trial of Google AI Plus for eligible users. 

The Google AI Plus package includes access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, 200 GB of cloud storage, and advanced tools like NotebookLM and Veo 3. The partnership uses Cassava’s continent-wide network to reach underserved regions and eliminate mobile data barriers. The initiative is especially aimed at students, creators, and small businesses in areas where connectivity and cost limit technology access. It represents a bold step towards democratizing high-end AI across Africa’s digital ecosystem.

Why it matters

By removing key barriers of cost and connectivity, this partnership enables more Africans to learn, build, and create with advanced AI, positioning the continent as a meaningful contributor rather than just a consumer of technology.

Africa Tech Festival 2025: Government and Tech Leaders Unite on Responsible AI

The Africa Tech Festival 2025 kicked off in Cape Town with voices from governments, global tech companies, and startups calling for inclusive, ethical AI innovation across Africa. 

Key figures such as South Africa’s Digital Minister emphasised that affordable connectivity, device access, and digital literacy must underpin AI progress. Panels covered themes like digital infrastructure, policy harmonisation, and startup-ecosystem growth.

The festival showcased IoT, cloud, and AI innovations tailored for African contexts, merging industry, policy and social impact. Sessions such as the AI Summit Cape Town highlighted how commercial AI can align with inclusive development goals.\

Why it matters

By convening leaders across sectors, the festival shapes a roadmap for AI in Africa that emphasises local relevance, ethical deployment, and sustainable, people-centred innovation.

Cassava Launches CAIMEx: Africa’s First Multi-Model AI Platform for Mobile Operators

Cassava Technologies announced CAIMEx, the first multi-model AI platform tailored for African mobile network operators, enabling them to access and deploy models from providers like Anthropic and OpenAI via a unified interface. 

The platform focuses on data sovereignty by hosting infrastructure regionally and enabling operators to select among AI models for use cases such as intelligence services and edge automation. This enables broad subscriber access and SME integration across the telecommunication ecosystem. It represents a shift from importing tools to building regional AI capabilities. The CAIMEx rollout underscores Africa’s move towards becoming a creator and allocator of AI resources rather than simply consuming them.

Why it matters

Platform access to multiple AI models through local operators strengthens Africa’s AI ecosystem by making services affordable, relevant, and under local control, helping the continent build its own technology future.

Around the world

OpenAI Unveils GPT-5.1 with Expanded Personality Presets

OpenAI has launched GPT-5.1, an upgrade to its flagship model introducing two modes, Instant and Thinking, to better match query types. Users can now select from eight new personality styles such as Friendly, Nerdy, Quirky, and Cynical, tailoring ChatGPT’s tone and style. The update aims to improve instruction following, reasoning, and user experience while older GPT-5 versions remain available for a limited time. It follows feedback that previous releases were too formal or robotic.

Amazon Introduces AI-Powered Kindle Translate Service for E-Book Authors

Amazon has rolled out Kindle Translate, a new AI tool for authors using Kindle Direct Publishing that lets them publish e-books in multiple languages with ease. The service is currently in beta and supports translations between English and Spanish as well as German to English. Authors can preview translations, set pricing, and publish directly through the KDP platform. Less than 5% of Kindle titles are available in more than one language, making this a significant expansion tool for authors.

Google Drive Adds Gemini-Powered Audio Overviews for PDFs

Google Drive has added a new feature powered by Gemini AI that converts lengthy PDF documents into 2-10 minute podcast-style audio summaries. Users simply click “Audio Overview” in the PDF viewer, and an audio file is generated and saved in a dedicated folder for playback across devices. The feature is available to Google Workspace subscribers and Google One AI plan users, initially for English-language documents. It aims to boost efficiency and accessibility for busy professionals and learners alike.

Around the Web - Top Picks

• Sir Tim Berners‑Lee on the Web’s AI Future

  Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web, says AI doesn’t have to destroy the web but can help it reclaim openness and user control.  He warns that dominant platforms could undermine the web’s foundational principle of individual empowerment. He emphasises decentralised data models and personal AI agents that serve users rather than corporations. The browser wars between AI-driven tools and traditional web interfaces are already underway.

  Read the full article here: Sir Tim Berners‑Lee on the Web’s AI Future

• Zoom CEO Predicts AI Will Shorten Our Workweek

  Zoom’s CEO Eric Yuan believes that AI will enable a three-or four-day workweek within the next five years.  He introduced a “digital twin” concept that lets AI avatars attend meetings and manage communications. He said routine tasks like emails and scheduling could soon be automated, freeing humans for higher-value work. Zoom is aggressively embedding AI into its platform including whiteboards and collaborative tools. Yuan says “AI, AI, and AI” are central to their growth strategy.

  Read the full article here: Zoom CEO Predicts AI Will Shorten Our Workweek

Seen This?

Upcoming African AI Events

Kwara AI Summit
Date: November 27-28, 2025
Location: Ilorin, Kwara
Theme: The goal is to show how Artificial Intelligence can make life better for everyday people — helping farmers produce more, improving public services, and opening new doors for young people in the digital economy.
Link: KwaraAISummit

IndabaX AI Workshops and Hackathons
Date: November 2025
Location: Various African countries (Uganda, Ghana, Zimbabwe)
Theme: Community-led events affiliated with the Deep Learning Indaba, aimed at spreading practical AI skills at the grassroots. These workshops and hackathons foster local innovation and strengthen Africa’s AI talent pipeline

NeurIPS 2025 – Black in AI Workshop
Date: December 2025
Location: Global (with African researchers’ participation)
Theme: Highlighting Africa’s growing presence on the global AI research stage, the Black in AI workshop at NeurIPS 2025 provides a platform for African scholars to present research, network with peers, and advance inclusive AI innovation

AI Job Opportunities

• Air Chefs - AI Engineer, South Africa

• Mass Markets - AI Prompt Engineer, Côte d'Ivoire

• HitchPay - Data Engineer, Intern, Nigeria

• Wonderful - AI Engineer, South Africa

• Palindrome Data - AI Soulutions Engineer, South Africa

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