Opportunities and Challenges of Electrifying the Minibus Sector in Africa

The electrification of smaller capacity vehicles, such as 2- and 3-wheelers, as well as full-size buses, has gained much momentum around the globe and is increasingly doing so in Africa. However, the same cannot be said of paratransit minibuses, the dominant form of public transport in most Sub-Saharan African countries.

Nonetheless, ongoing interest in the formalisation of mass paratransit and the introduction of other forms of mass transit, coupled with the increasing strategic priorities and policies to promote electric mobility in the region, represent fertile ground for initiating discussions and establishing the enabling conditions for the electrification of minibus services with an African focus.

In the pioneering Regional Exchange on Minibus Electrification in Africa, we brought together decision-makers from government bodies, researchers and scientists from academic institutions in the region, and experts to discuss how to work together to modernise the minibus sector across the continent in Kigali, Rwanda.

Day 1: Experts Debate Viability, Challenges, and Future Prospects

Participants explored several propositions and questions on minibus electrification drawing on a draft discussion paper, co-developed by GIZ and VREF. The document contains a set of propositions on potential development scenarios for the electrification of minibuses in African countries, guiding questions to assess the viability of minibus electrification in specific contexts, and an overview of ongoing initiatives and projects aimed at electrifying public transport across the continent. The Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) led discussions on the landscape of paratransit reforms in Africa, followed by a lively plenary discussion on the challenges and opportunities for electrifying the minibus sector. Representatives from various African countries, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, shared updates on their paratransit sectors, ongoing electrification and other reform efforts, as well as the challenges that they have encountered. Critical voices also emphasised the importance of not losing sight of cycling and walking in the discourse on limiting carbon emissions in Africa.

Key discussion points included the characteristics of paratransit, the roles and responsibilities of key players, and the professionalization of the sector. Important questions raised included the following:

• What are the environmental and social aims of minibus electrification?
• What are the feasible options for introducing e-minibuses in the paratransit industry?
• Is there a feasible business case for e-minibus fleets and charging infrastructure?
• What are the capacity gaps and how might they be addressed?
• Who are the best placed stakeholders to take the project ownership roles?

Day 2: Academia and Innovation

They focus of day two was on the roles and contributions of academia, in particular of the current research landscape in terms of preparations for or experimentation with minibus electrification in South Africa, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the operational and financial dynamics of electric minibus systems in Kenya and Rwanda. Operational and technological aspects that could either enable or hinder the introduction of electric minibuses were also discussed. Key topics included:

• Retrofitting existing fleets versus developing a new e-minibus industry in Africa
• Balancing operators’ consolidation with local ownership against the role of government
• Optimizing paratransit operations with or even before electrification

Day 3: Policies, Planning, and Initiatives

The third day centred on strategic elements crucial for the transition to electric minibuses, including the essential policy and regulatory frameworks. Parallel sessions provided platforms for in-depth exploration of critical topics such as strategic mobility planning, battery circularity, and stakeholder analysis and capacity building. Furthermore, the Transport and Climate Change Week 2024 was launched, looking ahead to how the outcomes of this event and further discussions on sustainable transport can be taken up during the next months.

Significant outcomes of three days of discussions

1. Further development of the discussion paper “Minibus Electrification in Africa”: the perspectives and comments from the different countries and sectors, which greatly enriched the discussion on sustainable transport in Africa, particularly in the paratransit sector, were collected during the event and have been taken into account in the revision of the paper. Download the discussion paper here.
2. A platform was created that enabled experts from ten different African countries to exchange their perspectives on the topic and learn from each other. Engaged participants took advantage of the opportunity for knowledge sharing and networking. The need for further research such as the VREF Informal and Shared Mobility Program to better understand the social, environment and economic impact of paratransit and with that how to improve the service for the workforce and all customers
3. The discussions during the event were closely linked to the flagship event later this year, the Transport and Climate Change Week, particularly regarding the role of paratransit in the decarbonisation of the transport sector in Africa.
4. With plans to apply the lessons learned from this exchange in their respective sub-regions in Africa, the participants underlined their collective commitment and desire for further engagement and action. This included formulating actionable steps to electrify minibus operations at a larger scale, to use such electrification to catalyse comprehensive reforms in paratransit operations, but also to better account for constraining factors such as fragmentation of ownership amongst operators, the absence of effective local vehicle supply and finance, as well as the fragility of electric grids.

The Regional Exchange has sparked new insights on the topic of minibus electrification in Africa, and we anticipate that it will encourage further dialogue and projects based on these initial reflections. The hosting event partners GIZ, VREF, MYC and TUMI are committed to continue to support the transition of the paratransit sector as a key element of the continent’s transport system.

The event was organised by the International Climate Initiative-funded Mobilize Net-Zero project in cooperation with the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF), MobiliseYourCity, and the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI).

The Mobilize Net Zero project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and is funded through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).