A three day gathering of 500 global investors and decision makers in Cape Town became the stage for a landmark infrastructure announcement as AXON Networks and Cassava Technologies revealed plans to deliver Africa’s first end to end AI driven Operator as a Service platform. The partnership was unveiled during Context Day on 28 January at Counder Conference 2026, positioning the forum as a strategic launchpad for high impact collaborations aimed at scaling digital infrastructure across the continent.
The conference, which convened family office principals, venture capital partners, chief executives and operators from more than 30 countries, was structured to foster candid engagement under the Chatham House Rule during its breakout sessions. Eighteen knowledge partners, including OpenAI, Investec, Ringier and The Stack Group, anchored discussions around artificial intelligence deployment at scale, Africa’s evolving technology ecosystem, digital infrastructure as an engine of economic growth, crypto’s transition toward stablecoins, commercial space exploration and satellite systems.
The AXON Cassava collaboration targets a critical opportunity within Africa’s expanding fibre footprint. By combining AXON’s software driven networking architecture with Cassava’s pan African infrastructure and data centre network, the companies aim to transform existing assets into a real time intelligent digital platform. The Operator as a Service model is designed to reduce operational complexity, accelerate innovation cycles and create new pathways for sustainable growth across multiple markets.
Participants at the conference included prominent business leaders such as Dr Christo Wiese, former chairman of Shoprite and Pepkor, Hardy Pemhiwa, president and chief executive of Cassava Technologies, Neville Isdell, former chairman and chief executive of The Coca Cola Company, and Martin Manniche, managing director of AXON Networks.
Organisers Michel Weiss and Leonard Stiegeler described the event as a trusted environment where collaboration begins before public headlines, noting that infrastructure plays of this scale require alignment between capital providers, operators and long term strategic partners.
The gathering unfolded across three Cape Town venues, beginning with an opening reception at the German Residence in Bishopscourt, followed by strategy sessions at the Norval Foundation in Tokai, and concluding with curated networking experiences across the city, including a gala dinner at the Cape Town World Cup Stadium.
With South Africa’s G20 presidency concluding in 2025, the conference reinforced Cape Town’s positioning as a hub for private sector dialogue shaping global capital flows. Organisers confirmed that invitations and partnership requests for the 2026 and 2027 seasons are now open, as the Counder network continues to expand its role in convening leaders building the next layer of Africa’s digital economy.