Rubicon cuts workforce by 12% in one year

From the newsletter

South African electric vehicle charging company Rubicon has cut its workforce by 12% in the last one year, according to an analysis of LinkedIn data by Mobility Rising. The data shows that the company, the second largest in South Africa, reduced its employee count by 33 between September 2024 and September 2025. This has left it with 266 workers listed on LinkedIn. 

• This was the biggest reduction in staff count of the continent’s 25 leading EV companies ranked by Mobility Rising based on multiple parameters.

• Despite the overall reduction in the number of employees, Rubicon increased its sales workers by 10 during the same period. This signals that the job cuts may have been as a result of an internal reorganization.  

More details

• According to our analysis, the average experience of workers at Rubicon is 10.4 years, the fourth highest out of the 25 EV firms we analysed. This shows that the company’s preferred workers are people with vast experience. The average tenure at the company is 3.4 years, the highest of all the 25 companies. It shows that Rubicon’s workers have been at the company for longer, indicating the company’s many years in operation. 

• Rubicon is the second largest charging company in South Africa, which is the continent’s leading car market, after GridCars. Other players include Chargify and companies like EVBox and ChargePoint as manufacturers and solution providers, contributing to the growing network. Meanwhile, Zero Carbon Charge focuses on building off-grid solar-powered charging stations. 

• The company builds, owns, and operates public EV charging stations and also provides charging infrastructure for dealerships such as Audi and Volvo, as well as for residential and commercial clients. Rubicon has been rapidly expanding due to increased demand for charging services. In 2024, it added 23 new stations (18 DC, 5 AC) to reach a total of 105 stations. It further plans to have 250 chargers by the end of 2025. 

• For charging companies like Rubicon, the increase in EV sales in South Africa is a blessing that brings more potential customers. However, this is also attracting stiff competition from new entrants. This could lead to a price war that could disrupt a market that has been having stable charging prices. It's unclear if Rubicon’s staff cuts are related to its financial performance, but increased competition could thin revenues for charging companies in a market that is still small. 

• As South Africa rapidly builds out a robust EV charging network, its progress is creating a stark contrast with the rest of the continent, where infrastructure remains sparse and largely confined to capital cities. South Africa is the continent's undisputed leader, boasting over 450 public charging points. This addresses range anxiety for EV drivers.

• Across the continent, progress is isolated. While urban hubs like Nairobi, Kenya, and Kigali, Rwanda, are seeing a welcome growth in charging points, often driven by the booming electric motorcycle market, they represent small pockets of connectivity. In Ethiopia, for instance, nearly all of the country's 100-plus chargers are located in the capital, Addis Ababa, leaving the rest of the nation a virtual desert for EV infrastructure.

Our take

• Rubicon's high average employee tenure and experience may make it less agile in adapting to EV charging market changes, potentially impacting its profitability and forcing further cost-cutting measures beyond the recent workforce reduction. 

• On the other hand, the reduction of experienced staff could be a risky move. While it may cut costs, it could also hinder Rubicon's ability to innovate and expand. Given the high average tenure and experience of its workforce, losing key talent could put the company at a disadvantage. 

• Rubicon’s staff cuts, whether a strategic pivot or a reaction to financial pressures, may not be enough to derail its leadership position as long as it continues to execute its expansion plans and the overall market grows as projected.