For millions of people, they provide the most affordable and accessible form of transport, while also creating livelihoods for riders and small businesses. In many places, they fill the gap left by limited public transport. Kenya alone has about 1.5 million riders.

Of the 27 million motorbikes in sub-Saharan Africa, only about 0.1% are electric, running on clean and low-cost energy. As part of a team of electrical and industrial engineers at Stellenbosch University, I work (and go on adventures!) to see if the share can be increased. When our team rode a locally manufactured electric motorbike from Kenya to South Africa in 2024, charging it with only solar power and battery storage along the way, we were not only testing a vehicle.

We were testing whether Africa could build and power its own electric mobility future. The journey covered roughly 6 000km via cities, rural roads and border posts, showing that electric two-wheelers are not a distant dream for sub-Saharan Africa. They are practical and point to a much bigger opportunity.

Feasible transition Electric motorcycles with battery swopping fit the realities of mobility demand in African countries: relatively short daily trips, constant use, tight operating margins and the need for low-cost transport. It’s been estimated that electrifying the segment would reduce total cost of ownership for riders by 35% to 40%, improve urban air quality, cut greenhouse gas emissions and lower dependence on imported fuel. Our own research suggests the transition is both technically and economically feasible.

We found that electrifying Nairobi’s boda bodas could cut carbon emissions by about 85% and that solar-powered systems would be better suited to battery swopping than home charging. Our modelling of 39 005 delivery trips in Cape Town showed that electrification works even better when fleets were right-sized and charging aligned with solar cycles. Together, the findings suggest that electric micromobility in Africa is not only technically viable but can be paired with local solar systems in ways that improve affordability, resilience and access.

An industrial opportunity Africa should not simply become a market for electric vehicles designed and manufactured elsewhere. It should become a place where they are built, adapted and improved for African conditions. The continent’s mobility needs are specific.

Vehicles must cope with rough roads, heavier loads, long operating hours and uneven access to charging. A motorcycle designed for Europe or Asia is not always right for a boda boda rider in Kenya or a delivery rider in South Africa. In one study, we developed and validated a physics-based model twin of an electric motorcycle under African operating conditions, showing that energy use could be predicted with good accuracy from real trips, terrain and payload.

The digital twin could be used in virtual assessments of electric fleet deployments. Local production would also create local jobs. It could create opportunities in assembly, fabrication, battery integration, electronics, software, data analytics, servicing and charging infrastructure.

It would give young engineers, technicians and entrepreneurs a foothold in an industry that is growing quickly. But that growth will not happen on its own. It needs policy support.

Ethiopia banned imports of internal combustion engine vehicles in 2024. This rapidly accelerated EV adoption altered the economics of vehicle imports. South Africa’s belated 150% tax incentive for local electric vehicle production is a step in the right direction.

Tapping into local resources Sub-Saharan Africa has some of the best solar resources in the world. At the same time, many communities face unreliable grid electricity or no access at all. That might sound like a barrier to electrified transport but it is also an opportunity.

Compared with large cars or buses, small vehicle batteries are far easier to charge from decentralised solar systems. Solar-powered charging points, battery swop stations, mini-grids and storage systems can all support electric motorcycles where conventional infrastructure is weak. Charging has been demonstrated on solar-hybrid mini-grids, particularly for rural electric two-wheelers, with documented cases in Nigeria and operator-led deployments in Sierra Leone.

Our research has found that decentralised solar could help power the transition: a school-centred solar trading model serving households and electric motorbikes achieved payback periods of under five years in favourable cases and improved supply reliability for external users by about 60%. This matters especially in rural and peri-urban areas, where mobility poverty is often most severe. A locally manufactured electric motorcycle charged with solar power is more than a cleaner vehicle.

It is a tool for inclusion. I