Crazy Flux
  • Business
  • World
  • Stocks
  • Investing
  • Business
  • World
  • Stocks
  • Investing

Crazy Flux

World

Can Africa’s EV revolution support rural women?

by admin April 16, 2025
April 16, 2025
Can Africa’s EV revolution support rural women?

Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) market is accelerating. But so far, one particular group of potential users — rural women — has largely been left behind, with investors favoring electric motorbike start-ups that serve a predominantly urban and male clientele. One company thinks it has the answer: electric tricycles.

“The boys with the two-wheelers get all the money,” said Shantha Bloemen, founder of Mobility for Africa, a Zimbabwean start-up with a 77% female customer base and one of a handful of EV companies in Africa operating solely in rural areas. Bloemen exclusively supplies tricycles, generally preferred by female riders in rural areas due to their non-straddling seat and greater stability on uneven roads. “Three-wheelers mean you’re inclusive of women,” she said.

Bloemen sees tricycles as the key to unlocking for rural women the potential of Africa’s EV market, which is expected to grow to $28.3 billion by 2030, according to data from Mordor Intelligence. She wants the continent to follow in the footsteps of Asia-Pacific, where tricycles are popular. “I want to be everywhere,” she said, “I want to be the queen of tricycles.”

For her customers, the vehicles, designed to cope with the unsurfaced roads, are transformative. “It has changed (our) way of life,” said Beauty Simango, 33, resident of the Zimbabwean village of Hauna and, since May last year, one of more than 300 people to lease or buy an electric tricycle from Mobility for Africa.

Simango no longer spends hours each day walking to fetch water or deliver crops to the market. By transporting goods and running a taxi service, her weekly income has increased from $30 to $150, although she now pays $65 towards her lease and regular battery swapping. Within 12 months, she will have paid off the price of the vehicle ($2,340). With her weekly profit, Simango pays her children’s school fees and funds farming projects. “It has helped our self-esteem as women,” she added.

But Mobility for Africa has struggled with a lack of investment. While Bloemen has raised a total of $6 million since 2019, half of which is from grants, including $380,000 from the Toyota Mobility Foundation, companies selling motorbikes in cities have been far more successful. Ampersand in Rwanda, whose clientele is, according to CEO Josh Whale, “overwhelmingly” male, raised over $21 million in a single year ending in August 2024. Spiro, the giant of the sector, has tens of millions of dollars in financing.

Most EV companies are focused on urban areas due to greater population density, said Tom Courtright, research director at the Africa E-Mobility Alliance think tank. Currently, most electric bikes and trikes must regularly swap their batteries at purpose-built facilities (Mobility for Africa currently has six such facilities) — but the cost of building and running these facilities can deter investors in areas with low populations. Currently, Courtright said, “urban areas are a better bet.”

For now, women in rural Africa must wait for the EV revolution to reach them. “Things are definitely moving in that direction,” said Ampersand’s Whale, “it’s just that the low hanging fruit is in the cities.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

previous post
Is This the Confidence Trap That Could Wreck Your Retirement Portfolio?
next post
Israeli ministers accuse embattled security agency chief of waging political vendetta against government

Related Posts

A recent Colombian law lets some women walk...

March 12, 2025

Energy is the ‘number one problem’ for Africa’s...

May 7, 2025

British couple motorbiking around the world detained in...

February 16, 2025

Zelensky says Trump’s backing is ‘crucial’ after US...

March 2, 2025

5 key takeaways from a frenetic weekend of...

March 3, 2025

Vatican clarifies its position on gender affirming surgery,...

March 6, 2025

Ecuador partnering with Blackwater founder in divisive nationwide...

March 13, 2025

European leaders say now not the time to...

March 28, 2025

UK to target AI child sex abuse tools...

February 3, 2025

Fear in Antarctic base as research team member...

March 19, 2025

    Join our mailing list to get access to special deals, promotions, and insider information. Your exclusive benefits await! Enjoy personalized recommendations, first dibs on sales, and members-only content that makes you feel like a true VIP. Sign up now and start saving!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent

    • India and Pakistan are both claiming victory after this week’s clashes. Will cooler heads prevail?

      May 9, 2025
    • UK’s King Charles lays wreath to mark 80th anniversary of VE Day

      May 9, 2025
    • Israeli military extends detention of Palestinian journalist despite acknowledging lack of evidence

      May 9, 2025
    • Israel vows to ‘defend ourselves alone’ after Trump strikes truce with Houthis

      May 9, 2025
    • This company’s edible skincare products are full of ‘raw Ghanaian goodness’

      May 9, 2025
    • Robert Prevost elected as first American pope and takes the name Leo XIV

      May 9, 2025
    • About us
    • Contacts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Email Whitelisting

    Disclaimer: crazyflux.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2025 crazyflux.com | All Rights Reserved