EV charging prices rise fastest in Kenya

June 11, 2025

From the newsletter

Kenyan charging companies increased prices over the past month while their counterparts in Nigeria and South Africa kept prices flat, according to a survey by Mobility Rising. Our survey collects charging data monthly from leading companies in the three countries. In Kenya, charging prices rose by 2%, likely due to increases in electricity prices.   

  • Electricity prices in Kenya and Nigeria are adjusted monthly to reflect the cost of generation and pass-through costs such as forex expenses. This makes charging prices more volatile. In South Africa, national electricity prices are changed annually.  

  • The majority of EVs in Kenya, especially electric motorcycles, are used for commercial purposes to save fuel costs. This means any increase in charging prices can affect future usage.  

More details

  • In Kenya, charging companies use three pricing models: per minute pricing, per unit (kWh) pricing, and a per swap price. Chargenet’s pricing remained unchanged at $0.04 per minute, the same as EVChaja’s price, which stagnated at $0.03 per minute.

  • Drivelectric’s charging price went up slightly to $0.41 per kWh, up from $0.40 in May. When it comes to swapping, Ampersand’s price reduced slightly to $2 per swap compared to $2.05 in May, while ARC Ride’s price remained unchanged at $1.97 per swap. 

  • South Africa’s Rubicon retained prices in June, charging $0.45 per unit at its DC fast chargers, and $0.33 at its slower AC chargers. GridCars also kept prices unchanged, charging $0.4 at its DC chargers and $0.32 at its AC chargers. The prices charged by Maxio, another South African charging company, are the same as those charged by GridCars. 

  • While stable this year, South Africa is expected to experience electricity price increases in 2026, as approved by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). NERSA approved a 5.36% increase in electricity prices for the 2026/2027 financial year, starting April 2026. This will increase EV charging costs. 

  • In Nigeria, charging companies mainly price for a full charge and a swap. For instance, Qoray Mobility charges $12.74 to fully charge an electric car using its DC fast chargers, the same price as in May. At the same time, Max and Slitech charge $1.59 and $0.96 respectively for an electric motorcycle battery swap.  

  • Charging costs remain high in Africa as charging companies race to recoup their investments. This comes at a time when charging infrastructure remains limited across the continent, causing a headache for EV users. However, investment in the business is growing. Charging companies like South Africa’s Charge and Kenya’s ARC Ride in May raised significant funding ($5.5 million and $5 million respectively) to scale their networks. 

  • While one of the smallest in the world, Africa’s EV charging market is growing fast. The charging market was valued at $31.93 million in 2022, and is projected to reach $256.53 million by 2030, according to Next Move Strategy Consulting. This growth will be mainly driven by a handful of major EV markets, particularly South Africa, Morocco, Egypt and Ethiopia. 

Our take

  • High prices of public EV charging stations will prompt more individuals to charge their vehicles at home. Despite this, public fast chargers remain critical to the electric mobility ecosystem. They help ease range anxiety, but low EV sales and high installation costs are deterring investment. 

  • The different charging models being used by companies in Africa can cause confusion to EV owners. Charging companies should harmonise their pricing models to make it easier for motorists. They should also use data tools and forecasting to assess costs and gauge demand, which should be used for stable pricing.   

  • African governments should put in place comprehensive and consistent policies that specifically support charging infrastructure development. This includes streamlined permitting processes, land allocation for charging stations, and potentially even initial subsidies or incentives for public charging deployments.