Here come electric vans made in Africa

August 20, 2025

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Chinese light-duty commercial van manufacturer Jiangsu Joylong Automobile has announced plans to assemble electric vans in Africa. Joylong’s electric vans are gaining traction in Africa, especially in Kenya where dozens of units have been deployed by several public transport operators. The company makes electric vans for both passenger use and cargo delivery.

  • Vans are the most common vehicles for mass transport in Africa, with millions of vans, mainly diesel-powered, plying the continent's roads. But electric vans are emerging as a viable alternative, offering lower operation costs. 

  • With proven demand for electric vans, Joylong is targeting to assemble them on the continent to lower prices. Local assembly enables the company to cut on import taxes and shipping costs, which could translate to lower prices of fully-built vans if production is scaled. 

  • Our take: Joylong could have a first-mover advantage in Africa’s electric van market, which has received less attention from the major global EV companies … Read more (2 min)

Electric cars that use Chinese standard charging ports will no longer be allowed in Egypt from September. This is despite thousands of such cars already ordered from Chinese OEMs and suppliers. The Egyptian-Arab Association for Smart Mobility and Electric Vehicles has urged the Egyptian government to delay the implementation of the ban until the end of the year.

  • The decision comes just four months after the Egyptian Electricity Regulatory Authority adopted the CCS2 charging standard for electric cars. It is expected to slow EV adoption in Egypt, as Chinese models are generally more affordable than other options.

  • With Chinese EVs making up 95% of Egypt’s registered EVs, China is likely to invest more in producing compliant models for a proven and profitable market. But this is also an opportunity for non-Chinese OEMs to capture market share.

  • Our take: The outcome of Egypt’s charging debate could shape how the rest of Africa sets legal frameworks… Read more (2 min)

Our staff index for the electric mobility sector declined by 29.6% in the past month. It measures the change in the number of jobs available, number of companies advertising jobs, and the most recent shifts in our sector salary survey. It also tracks the change in the number of staff and attrition rate at the top ten companies. Are EV firms catching their breath?  

  • The index went from 282 in July down to 202 now, marking a second consecutive monthly decline. This was mainly driven by a downturn in hiring, with the number of jobs advertised in the sector dropping to 66 compared to 85 in the previous month. The number of companies that advertised jobs also shrunk from 16 to 11.  

  • On the flip side, the number of workers at the 25 top electric mobility companies in Africa went up by 4.4% to 4,006 from 3,837 last month. Over the last 12 months, these companies have added 1,430 workers, according to an analysis of LinkedIn data. 

  • Our take: As local assembly of EVs in Africa grows, individuals with technical skills will be in high demand… Read more (2 min)

Shift EV employees enjoy a team-building event in Egypt

Events

📅 Register for EV training by Africa E-Mobility Industry Action Limited (Sept 3)

📅 Attend an EV Exhibition during Zero Emissions Week in Namibia (Sept 15)

📅 Book a slot at the Africa E-Mobility Week (Oct 14)

Jobs

💼 Lead Regional Operations at Kabisa (Rwanda)

💰 Become a Finance Associate at Zeno (Kenya)

🚚 Join DriveMe Electric as the Head of Fleet Strategy and Innovation (Nigeria)

Various 

🚘 Fidelity Bank champions green transport with free EV rides in Nigeria

🏛️ ChangAn opens new SA headquarters and flagship showroom

🤑 Ethiopia’s old cars are pricier than ever, while EVs slide

Seen on LinkedIn 

Christopher de Saxe, Head of EV Transition at GoMetro, says, “When discussing logistics decarbonisation on calls with South African companies, we often hear that EVs are a pipedream, a first world luxury, and that electricity supply from Eskom is unreliable enough as it is. We also hear that decarbonization is not a priority, the bottom line is, so why pay for these expensive vehicles?”