The fight against climate change has led to the rise of sustainable mobility. Thus, countries must harness renewable energy and increase the demand for Electric Vehicles (EVs). Some of Africa’s main trading partners have banned internal combustion engine vehicle sales by 2035. Already, there are pilot projects for sustainable vehicles in Rwanda, South Africa, and Egypt. Furthermore, E-mobility startups have emerged across the continent. 
 
According to government projections, there will be about 6,000 electric automobiles in SA in 2020 (both fully electric and hybrid). The country is also exploring the possibility of manufacturing EVs, with the first fully manufactured EV expected to be ready by 2026, according to the trade minister. Naamsa (the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa) expects at least 8 new EV products to be introduced in the country in 2024.
 
Morocco’s EV fleet included more than 10,000 hybrid vehicles in 2022, according to ‘Société Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc’, Morocco’s national authority for the management of expressways. Like South Africa, Morocco boasts a vibrant vehicle manufacturing industry, including world-renowned car makers such as Renault and Stellantis. The country is targeting the production of 1 million cars of all types by 2025. Part of the plan is to have EVs represent up to 60% of car exports by 2030. Ongoing investments in battery manufacturing could expedite these ambitions.
 
Statistics by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority released in April 2024 show the number of EV registrations stood at 3753 as of 2023. Between July and December 2023, 2694 new EVs were registered, thanks to wide-ranging incentives implemented last year. While the number of fully electric four-wheelers is still low (less than 500), according to Afema, increasing investor activity by companies such as BasiGo and Roam promises to increase the numbers. Kenya recently unveiled its first Electric Mobility (e-mobility) Draft Policy, which outlines policy guidelines in the sector as it pursues a target of having 5% of all vehicle registrations in the country be electric by 2025.
Tanzania has grown into one of the biggest electric vehicle markets in Africa, with electric two- and three-wheelers being the dominant category on the country’s roads. A 2023 report by the Africa emobility alliance estimated the number of EVs in Tanzania at 5000 vehicles. While the number of electric four-wheelers remains low, there are still a few recent entries from major dealers, including the Tesla Model S, Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf, and BMW i3.
 
Angola has one of the highest numbers of electric four-wheelers in Africa, with estimates by the Africa Emobility Alliance showing up to 1000 electric four-wheelers. Policies introduced in 2022 offer import and vehicle tax reductions until 2032. The country is developing a strategic plan for electro-mobility to accelerate growth in the sector. A 2023 report by CVE Angola, an EV company, shows an additional two thousand EV imports from the United States in 2024.
 
According to government data, approximately 17,000 electric vehicles, including 2 and 3-wheelers, are currently registered in the country. Ghana also boasts one of the largest EV four-wheeler fleets in Africa, with about 1,000 tracked in the Africa e-mobility alliance’s 2023 report. In the 2023/24 Budget Speech, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning unveiled Ghana’s ambitious strategy to boost the EV sector. This includes waiving import duties on EVs for 8 years, starting in 2024. This initiative also includes exemptions on import duties for semi-knocked down and completely knocked down EVs imported by registered assembly companies and an extension of VAT exemptions on locally assembled vehicles for 2 more years.
 
In 2022, UNEP reported nearly 900 electric vehicles, including motorcycles and three-wheelers, zipping around Rwanda. That number is on the rise, driven by supportive government policies fueling a boom in EV-related businesses. Notably, Tesla has entered the Rwandan scene with its Model Y, joining players like BYD from China. The arrival of Kenyan startup BasiGo further underscores Rwanda’s commitment to electrifying transportation. Afema notes that Rwanda currently boasts 1,182 two and three-wheelers.
 
Multiple estimates from industry professionals suggest there were between 3500 and 4000 EVs in Egypt in 2023, almost double the 1,000 to 1,800 in 2021. According to Afema, the number of four-wheeler EVs is still modest, estimated at about 380 as of 2023. 155 of these were electric buses deployed when the country hosted COP 27. The government has an ambitious plan to encourage local EV production, with up to 100,000 units targeted in a few years. To meet this, the government plans to cover up to 35% of the costs per unit of EV produced locally to encourage the local industry.
 
According to estimates from Cleantechnica.com, as of 2023, there were some 5,000 to 7,000 electric vehicles on the roads of Ethiopia, with the sector experiencing significant growth thanks to government incentives. The incentives include VAT, surtax, and excise tax exemptions for all EVs and customs duty tax exemptions for completely knocked-down kits. The Ministry of Transport and Logistics aims to import a minimum of 4,800 electric buses and 148,000 electric automobiles over the next decade, part of a plan to accelerate EV adoption in the country.
 
Africa boasts key raw materials for modern vehicles that require new technologies to reach net zero. They include copper, cobalt, bauxite and lithium. In addition, there is also a huge market for electric motorcycles in Africa, especially in West, East and North Africa. This widens opportunities for utilizing domestically produced inputs in new markets by leveraging AfCFTA preferences.

Public service plays a fundamental role in governance in Africa. Strengthening public services in Africa has thus been deemed critical to the continent’s development. When reinforced, good governance and public service facilitate healthy communities, government accountability, constructive and positive citizen engagement, and job creation, laying the framework for development and growth. On the other hand, weak public services result in education gaps, citizen distrust, and a lack of government transparency. Present and future challenges can only be addressed if this governance pillar is secured across the continent.

Recognizing that good governance in the public sector is a critical component toward the pursuit of economic development (i.e., political representation, institutional effectiveness, executive effectiveness, human rights and the rule of law, independence of media and civil society organizations, economic management and corruption control ) efforts to improve governance have become a major thrust within Africa. African citizens’ satisfaction with the provision of basic public services has diminished over the last decade. This indicates that governments are not meeting public demand in health care, education, justice, safety, and security areas. The Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) recognizes progress in overall governance across Africa and has noted a decline in the provision of core public services. Education, for instance, shows a concerning trajectory.

According to the Afrobarometer, 12.7% of people surveyed in 2014/2015 mentioned that obtaining the services needed from teachers or school officials was challenging. With Africa’s population set to double by 2050, efficient public service delivery in this area is vital to the continent’s ability to deal with new challenges in the future. In 2018, the African Union declared the year as a year of fighting corruption across the continent, and transparency has played a big part in governance debates. Transparency and accountability are key challenges central to unlocking the potential of public services in Africa.

According to the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, findings show that public sector corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa is the second highest globally, after South Asia. This is a widespread phenomenon, with 22% of Africans who have had contact with public services saying they have paid a bribe. Corruption is a potential loss of resources and an obstacle to accessing public services. This calls for policies against scraps and money laundering, the benefits of which are already being seen across Africa.

The public and private sectors and civil society are increasingly involved in delivering services to citizens. In particular, there is a growing role of local authorities and public-private partnerships in delivering public services. Today, the 20 biggest cities on the continent manage populations larger than many countries. In cities such as Kampala and Johannesburg, a new generation of mayors, supported by teams of young and motivated Africans, are offering examples of modernizing public services that engage with cross-sections of society.

Digital technologies are revolutionizing government services in Africa. For instance, Rwanda has emerged as a leader among Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in e-government. By 2022, Rwanda offered 98 online services, reflecting a robust commitment to leveraging digital tools to improve governance and public service delivery.

In order to ensure that African countries fulfill their mandate as developmental states, there has been a call for them to improve their: regulatory capacity– the ability to establish and enforce rules throughout the society, including the traditional and religious realms; administrative capacity – the ability to manage the personnel and resources of the state and to ensure accountability and efficiency in service delivery; and domestic resource mobilization/ tax collection capacity – to raise the revenues needed by the state to pay for the expenses of implementing state policies and goals, which includes the revenue for hiring, paying, and providing public servants with the resources to work with.

Industry Leaders

According to Transparency International’s corruption perception index, Seychelles, Botswana, and Cabo Verde are the least corrupt countries in Africa. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Mauritius, South Africa, and Tunisia rank first, second, and third among African nations for the provision of e-government services.

Industry leaders

Seychelles

South Africa

Botswana

Egypt

Mauritius

Kenya

African Union

African Union