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- South Africa’s used electric car market is taking shape
South Africa’s used electric car market is taking shape
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 | Used electric cars are now selling for less than two-thirds of the price of new ones in South Africa, lowering the barrier to EV ownership. This comes even as the number of used electric cars listed on South Africa’s biggest car selling platform Autotrader has jumped by 63% in the half-year to June 2025. More than 4,000 electric cars have been sold in South Africa to date. |
The vast majority of vehicles sold in most African countries are used. The availability of used electric cars will reduce prices and make it easier for Africans to afford EVs, which will help catalyse EV adoption.
EV companies, mainly from China, are flooding the African market with cheaper electric cars that have better features than older models. This is enticing early EV adopters on the continent to sell their older models and upgrade.
Our take: A minimum battery health threshold, a maximum age limit and pre-import inspections will be needed to ensure the imported used EVs are safe and functional.… Read more (2 min)
 | For most people in Africa, the idea of buying an EV to reduce carbon emissions is alien. They buy EVs because they are cheaper to use, which helps them put more money into their pockets. But that is not the case for Peter Emmanuel, a freelance journalist based in Nigeria. For him, the main reason he wants to purchase an EV is to fight air pollution and protect the environment. |
The journalist is right to be worried about Nigeria’s worsening air quality. In 2019, around 23,900 premature deaths were attributable to air pollution in Lagos alone. An estimated 30% of Lagos’ air pollution concentrations are attributable to road transport.
“When I look at electric vehicles, sustainability is a big factor for me. They create a cleaner environment since there’s no smoke or emissions, and that’s something Nigeria really needs,” Mr Emmanuel tells Mobility Rising in an interview.
To read his full view… click here (3 min)
 | Affordability of electric scooters and a surplus of electricity are emerging as the key accelerators of Tanzania’s EV transition, according to Paschal Giki, an electric mobility expert at Enabel. However, the industry faces significant hurdles — most scooters rely on low-cost batteries that lose performance within 12–18 months, creating long-term sustainability concerns. |
Mr Giki is an e-mobility expert at Enabel, a Belgium development agency. He is pushing for sustainable transport in Tanzania through the country’s electric mobility association. Previously he worked at Africa E-Mobility Alliance as a researcher and consultant.
Despite generating nearly 2,000 MW of surplus power from the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station, Tanzania’s transmission network remains inadequate, limiting reliable distribution to support large-scale EV adoption, says Mr Giki.
Click here to read the entire conversation… Read time (2 min)
Afreikh summer school students visit Wahu Mobility production plant in Ghana
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Deepesh Rathore, Founder of InsightEV, says, “ The TCO of ICE motorcycles is now uncomfortable for the Boda Boda economy in the Eastern part of Africa. A strong move to electric is happening."