How BasiGo is dealing with a demand surge

September 28, 2025

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Founded in 2021, Kenyan startup BasiGo has quickly grown to become a leading electric bus company in East Africa. The company leases buses through a Pay-As-You-Drive model and has signed up 11 public transport companies. In an interview with Mobility Rising, BasiGo Kenya Managing Director Moses Nderitu revealed the company has more than 500 orders.  

  • BasiGo raised more than $55 million to date, enabling it to double its monthly assembly to 20 buses. It needs further capital to increase production, which lags behind demand, leading to a months-long backlog of orders.

  • “We are still raising more and that will help us grow to get to that point whereby what we are generating with the buses and vehicles on the road should be able to sustain the business moving forward. But at this point, like most startups, you have to rely on fundraising,” says Mr Nderitu. 

  • Read the full interview here… (5 min)

Watu Africa’s 2024 sustainability report shows the company financed 2,193 electric vehicles across East Africa, up from 1,055 in 2023, a 108% year-on-year increase. Uganda led with 1,039 units, followed by Rwanda (723), Kenya (406) and Tanzania (25). EVs also grew to 3.8% of all vehicles financed in 2024, compared to 1.4% in 2023, signalling steady momentum.

  • The high upfront cost of EVs limits ownership, but financing models from players like Watu, Mogo and M-Kopa are making vehicles more accessible. Riders can now own 2 & 3-wheelers in 12–24 months, driving adoption.

  • Every East African country has financing for two- and three-wheelers. Four-wheelers, however, remain underserved, as banks treat them like fuel cars with high interest rates, keeping them out of reach for many.

  • Our take: EV numbers are likely to grow with more financing players entering the market… Read more (2 min)

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has given Egypt a grant of $10 million to develop EV maintenance technology at four vocational training institutions. Egypt said the five-year project will provide simulation systems for practical training and advanced equipment for repairing electric car batteries as they are the most important component in vehicles.

  • The KOICA grant addresses a gap in Egypt's EV market by training a skilled workforce. This investment will increase the number of qualified technicians to maintain and repair EVs, particularly their battery systems.  

  • KOICA is increasingly involved in Africa’s EV sector. It is exploring the introduction of EVs into the green transition strategy of Sierra Leone, and has held discussions regarding potential investments in EV projects in Nigeria. 

  • Our take: Egypt should serve as a blueprint for similar collaborations across other African nations… Read more (2 min)

Dodai’s Manufacturing Manager Abiero Origa gives a tour to German and Japanese visitors at their factory in Ethiopia 

Events

📅 Join experts at the EV Revolution Africa in Ghana (Oct 9)

📅 Attend Automechanika exhibition in South Africa (Oct 28)

📅 Register for Kenya’s National Public Transport Summit (Nov 26)

Jobs

💼 Direct business development at Kofa (Kenya)

📄 Become a Product Planning Lead at ShiftEV (Egypt)

👨🏻‍💼 Join Rubicon as a Project Coordination Administrator (South Africa)

Various 

🤝 Jumia partners with Spiro in Uganda

🏆 Spiro named among the top 10 companies shortlisted for the Milken-Motsepe Prize.

🛳️ Siltech World exports a 100% made in Nigeria EV to the USA

Seen on LinkedIn 

Ignatius Maranga, EV expert, says, “We all know petrol prices are unpredictable. One day it's up, the next it's even higher. It feels like a constant battle for anyone who drives. But what if there was a way to escape that rollercoaster?”