While the rest of the world seems to be accelerating towards an electric vehicle (EV) future, Africa is navigating a unique and complex set of challenges that complicate a continent-wide transition. Infrastructure limitations, affordability issues, and limited access to clean energy have hindered the widespread adoption of EVs across the continent. However, this challenge presents an opportunity to empower taxi drivers as leaders in Africa’s clean mobility shift.
Urban taxi drivers are, in many ways, the backbone of Africa’s transport sector. In cities like Nairobi and Lagos, they keep millions of people moving each day, often working long hours and covering considerable distances. Their high-mileage usage makes them ideal early adopters of EV technology. With the right financial models and policy frameworks, taxi drivers could be central to transforming how people move across the continent.
Electrifying Africa's taxis is not just a matter of environmental concern, but one of economic pragmatism. According to the International Energy Agency's Africa Energy Outlook, Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for just 2% of the world’s vehicles yet contributes nearly 5% of global road transport emissions.
This disparity highlights both an urgent need and a valuable opportunity to focus efforts where they can have the greatest impact. Prioritising taxis over private vehicles offers a practical, equitable path to reducing emissions, improving driver livelihoods, and enabling more inclusive, sustainable growth across the region.
Maximising impact through high-mileage use
Taxis clock significantly more kilometres daily compared to privately owned cars. The more they drive, the more fuel is saved and emissions avoided. Replacing diesel and petrol vehicles with EVs in this segment can deliver rapid environmental returns while also lowering operational costs for drivers.
In addition, the high usage of taxis means that investments in EVs can yield faster returns. Charging infrastructure can be developed around centralised or depot-based systems, simplifying installation and maintenance. In many urban centres where energy access is more reliable, concerns about range become less significant. With careful planning and collaboration with local utilities, these challenges can be addressed in a practical and effective way.
Fuelling economic growth with smart financing
At the core of this opportunity lies the economic empowerment of drivers. While EVs typically have higher upfront costs, they offer lower maintenance and running costs. For drivers who spend a significant portion of their income on fuel and repairs, this transition can improve earnings over time.
To realise this potential, innovative financing models are essential. Solutions like lease-to-own schemes, microloans or pay-as-you-go financing, tailored to the informal economy, can remove the affordability barrier. Creating access to capital improves financial inclusion and enables drivers to invest in more sustainable business models.
Also, wider EV adoption in the taxi sector creates jobs across the value chain. From vehicle assembly and battery servicing to charging infrastructure and fleet management, this shift can support a more resilient and inclusive economy. Investing in training and skills development will be key to building a strong ecosystem for long-term economic stability.
Accelerating urban sustainability
Electric taxis’ environmental benefits extend far beyond carbon reduction. For example, lower air pollution and reduced noise levels contribute to a better quality of life in rapidly growing cities. For urban residents exposed to traffic congestion and poor air quality, the shift to EVs can offer direct health and well-being improvements.
Taxi drivers also act as visible ambassadors of change. Their adoption of new technology helps build familiarity and trust among wider consumer groups, accelerating broader uptake of EVs.
Policy support will also be vital in achieving this vision. Governments can help by offering targeted subsidies, reducing import duties on EVs, or providing preferential licensing for electric taxi operators. Public-private partnerships, such as the recent UK collaboration with Invest Africa, can unlock funding and drive scalable impact.
The Importance of Partnerships
One of the key challenges facing the wide-scale adoption of EVs in Africa is the number of systematic changes required across different segments to make it a reality. From flexible loan options, to charging infrastructure, to educational initiatives, and a more sustainable electrical grid - no one group, government, company or person will be the silver bullet.
For example, a recent project - the EMPower Project - has launched in East Africa, with five different partner organisations with the aim to increase EV uptake in the taxi industry. The group will focus on providing tailored loan solutions for EV taxis, digital applications, training and upskilling, and EV infrastructure in East Africa.
It is these kinds of initiatives with wide-ranging partnerships, applied across the continent that will be the key to unlocking EVs as a part of Africa’s future.
Driving change: Africa’s road to clean mobility
Africa has a chance to define its own path in the global EV transition, one that reflects its unique environmental and socio-economic realities. By strategically focusing on the taxi sector, the continent can achieve fast, inclusive, and sustainable progress in mobility.
This shift is about more than cleaner transport. It’s about creating jobs, improving incomes, enhancing urban environments and building resilience in the systems that keep cities moving. It will require commitment, coordination and creativity.
By investing in the people who move Africa every day, the continent can not only keep pace with global change but lead it with purpose. Targeted investment and innovative financing can empower taxi drivers and others in the transport sector to adopt cleaner technologies, fuelling sustainable growth and economic opportunity across Africa.
