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Leviathans embrace the mobility revolution in Africa

Who are the main EV buyers? Increasingly it is businesses, government and other large organisations

September 03, 2026

Welcome to Green Rising – The meme is as old as it is outdated. This continent is said to be disorganised. Its governments seemingly present as dysfunctional. Business is presumed to be most dynamic at the bottom of the pyramid. And managerial talent is often recruited from the diaspora. 

That’s not necessarily what we see. Corruption, where it exists, is not the same as dysfunction (it’s rather purposeful, just in pursuit of the wrong thing). And the challenges facing the continent – rather larger than in developed countries – are tackled intermittently but show momentum. 

The mobility sector is an example. Electric vehicles are known to be popular with African motorcycle riders. But increasingly it is large institutions, both public and private, that drive sales. Vroom vroom.

Uganda’s Kira Municipality has rolled out 21 electric buses, while South Africa’s Cape Town has received 38 such buses for public transport. In Ethiopia, Addis Ababa plans to purchase 500 electric buses, funded through the city's annual budget. They are the latest examples of African governments driving demand for electric coaches.

  • Demand for electric two- and three-wheelers, cars, vans and trucks is driven by private buyers. For buses, the role national and regional governments play in public transport in many African countries makes them the primary players.  

  • It means African electric bus companies operate in a fundamentally different market from most other EV makers. While the government creates a guaranteed market for electric buses, government dependence creates concentration risk. 

  • Our take: State procurement can get the industry off the ground, but a sustainable business cannot depend on the government… Read more (2 min)

Tanzanian electric motorcycle company Oasis Electric has handed over 30 motorcycles to an internet service provider. The motorcycles will be used by the company’s agents for daily operations across the country. It comes as ever more corporate entities across Africa with heavy ground operations switch to electric motorcycles to reduce costs.

  • Tanzania, Africa’s fifth largest market, has been slow in EV adoption compared to its regional peers due to lack of sufficient incentives. This is changing, with electric two- and three-wheeler sales growing steadily, and corporate customers are emerging as a critical demand driver.  

  • Africa’s millions of taxi riders ensure that they will be the primary market for electric motorcycle companies. But corporate clients, under pressure to reduce the cost of running their fleets, could help shape winners in the market. 

  • Our take: Corporate fleets may be the most important second growth engine for Africa’s electric motorcycle market… Read more (2 min)

Kenya-based tea multinational Browns Plantations is seeking to buy 60 five-tonne electric trucks as it transitions its fleet to electric. Browns has invited bids for supply of the trucks on a sale or lease basis with a deadline of 1st September. It comes three months after the company purchased 30 electric trucks, marking its first major shift to electric mobility

  • Record-breaking fuel prices in Africa this year and the gradual narrowing of the price gap with fuel trucks have pushed companies to accelerate the shift to electric trucks to reduce transport costs.  

  • Africa’s major transport corridors need to be lined with robust charging infrastructure for electric truck transport to truly take off. The lack of this has so far limited the use to short-range applications.

  • Our take: Electric trucks are moving from pilot projects to mainstream commercial fleets but charging will determine how fast the market scales… Read more (2 min)

Number of the week

….is the share of sub-Saharan Africa healthcare facilities with basic waste-management services in 2025, versus 71% globally. The gap presents circular economy opportunities in collection, treatment, recycling and resource recovery. Businesses can address this while supporting health system strengthening across the region.

Network corner

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👉 Spiro appoints Auroasish Choudhuri as Managing Director for West and Central Africa to expand access to affordable, sustainable mobility

👉 Marc Stephan appointed as Volkswagen Group Africa’s production director to develop future models and expand Volkswagen's production network in Africa

Top green jobs from…

EVENTS UPDATE 

📆 Join the Transport, Logistics & Infrastructure Conference in Zimbabwe (Sep 9)

📆 Attend the Africa EV Summit in Ethiopia (September 14)

📆 Sign Up for the Biofuel Expo in Kenya (October 6)

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