COP27: The African Continent

The African continent is home to just under 20% of the worlds population, yet over the last 20 years it has been responsible for only 3.4-3.8% of global emissions. COP27 talks thus far have been dominated by discussions around developing countries requesting a special “loss and damages” fund, through which rich developed nations, who are overwhelmingly the heaviest polluters, pay compensation to vulnerable states hit by climate-fuelled disasters. If such a fund was introduced, many African nations would have a fair claim to such compensation. Despite being one of the lowest emitting regions in the world, the continent has suffered some of the worst effects of the climate crisis thus far, largely in the form of extreme drought and famine.

Given that many African countries are still developing economically, and the continents low overall contribution to global emissions, many observers may assume that the 54 African nations will likely be among the last to electrify. Tesla, the worlds most successful electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, make zero shipments to the continent. Diesel and petrol vehicles still very much reign supreme in African.

Despite this, it is important to remember that the switch to electric mobility must be global for EVs to reach their full potential as a tool to fight the climate crisis. Because of this, it is also essential that there is accountability and transparency around the transition to electric vehicles globally, in order to ensure developing nations do not become dumping grounds for old, polluting vehicles as petrol and diesel phase-outs take place elsewhere.

The Current State of Play: How Many EVs are in Africa?

It is hard to find accurate and up-to-date data on just how many electric cars are currently in use across the African continent. South Africa is widely reported as being the largest market for EVs, with approximately 1,000 registered out of a total of 12 million registered vehicles. Kenya seems to be the next largest market, at around 350 registered vehicles out of a total of 2.2 million in the country. The conversation around EVs is very much only just beginning in Africa, but this does not mean that no change is taking place on the continent. Many countries are beginning to lay the policy groundwork to enable future growth in their respective EV markets.

Leading the Pack

Currently four countries in Africa are signed up to the COP26 petrol and diesel phase out targets. These countries have a total combined car parc of around 3.3 million vehicles. Whilst these four are the only to have committed to targets set down at the previous COP event, they are by no means the only African nations who have set transition targets; several other countries have their own, in some cases very ambitious, targets for EV take-up.

These nations include:

• South Africa, which has set a target of having 2.9 million EVs on their roads by 2050 (representing about 18% of the total number of cars on the roads in the country today).

• Kenya, which is aiming for 5% of their vehicle imports to be electric by 2025.

• Egypt, which aims to be building 20,000 EVs per year commencing in 2023.

• Namibia, which aims to have a total of 100,000 EVs on the road by 2030.

Vehicle ownership overall is fairly low across much of Africa, with a lot of countries favouring 2 and 3 wheeled vehicles, as well as public and shared transportation. Given this, it is essential that any strategy for electrification must include these vehicles. Many countries have already started this with electric buses being found in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Morocco, and the EV bus industry on the continent being worth approximately $872.89 million - with sizable future growth expected.

Innovators on the Continent

Supply of electric cars is a problem in Africa, as it is in many places. However, EV design may also pose an issue. Many of the EV models currently on market tend to be smaller city vehicles, and are not suitable for more challenging terrains. A means to circumvent this problem, as well as the issue of a lack of supply, is through retrofitting petrol and diesel vehicles with an electric drivetrain.

EV retrofitting works; it is used to convert old classic cars into EVs by hobbyists in Europe. In Africa, it could be the vital key to the successful electrification of a swathe of vehicles. Business and industry recognise this, and a number of start-ups have sprouted up in various countries across the continent. They have focussed their initial efforts on vehicles with designated bases to circumnavigate the problem of a lack of EV friendly infrastructure. In Tanzania, one such start-up is working to convert safari vehicles, a type of vehicle of which there is no current EV alternative on the market. Other conversion businesses are focusing on motorbikes and circumnavigating the lack of infrastructure publicly available by providing a home charger as part of the package.

Case Study: Kenya

Kenya is an East African country that has a relatively small number of private vehicles on its road. Of a population of just over 53 million, only 1.1 million vehicles are registered in the country. Kenya has around the same number of motorbikes registered, and the vast majority of citizens rely on formal and informal public transportation to get around. Despite the number of EVs registered in the country currently only numbering in the hundreds, the government has committed to a phase out of diesel and petrol cars by 2040, and is aiming for 5% imports being electric by 2025. 

In order to meet this target the Kenyan government has published a national EV action plan, and is actively looking into the readiness of the nations electricity grid and additional ways the transition can be supported. Retrofitting vehicles with electric drivetrains has been identified as a means to speed up electrification by the Kenyan government, and certifications and standards for conversions has been devised by The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). This has been done proactively by the government, in order to encourage investment in this space. 

There is negligible charging infrastructure in Kenya. However, some limited infrastructure is beginning to appear in Nairobi, the country’s capital. Most have been installed by NopeaRide, an electric car cab service which works in a similar way to rideshare app Uber. Kenya Power, an electricity distributor, announced plans in December 2021 to roll out EV charging infrastructure on major highways, parking lots and malls. Additionally, battery swapping technologies have been introduced in Nairobi, with a number of stations throughout the city. Both business and government have a role in driving innovation and it is important that this continues to happen.

Going Forward: Next Steps & Future Prospects

It is clear that Africa is just beginning its electrification journey. The coming years will be crucial in making sure that it progresses its transition, and does not get left behind the rest of the world. Policy makers and businesses will need to work together to create an environment where African nations progress their transitions on there own terms. Governments need to make sure that the right incentives and policy instruments are there to support businesses, and business must do its part to support the continents journey to electric transport.

This is currently not always the case. For example, despite being the largest EV market in Africa, South Africa remains one of the most expensive places in the world to buy an EV, due largely to a 25% import tax being levied on each vehicle. This is because the South African government currently views electric cars as a luxury item, not as a means to combat climate change.

Across the continent, consumers must be supported to overcome the initial high price of an electric car, in order to unlock running cost savings and reduce tailpipe emissions. Another key aspect that will be vital to the success of the transition is making sure there is reliable data on EV take-up in all countries in Africa. At the moment, much of this data is simply not available. Addressing this will be crucial for monitoring the progress of the switch to electric transport, and for holding governments to commitments and promises they have made.