Top EV firms hire 4.4% new staff in one month

From the newsletter 

Africa’s top 25 electric mobility companies have increased their workforce by 4.4% in the last one month, according to an analysis of LinkedIn data by Mobility Rising. It shows that 4,006 individuals on the platform work at these companies, a steady increase from 3,837 last month. Tesla contributed the most to the growth as it accelerates recruitment on the continent. 

• The companies we analysed are Tesla, BYD, Spiro, Ampersand, Max, BasiGo, MellowVans, Rubicon, Mbay Mobility, Kiira Motors Corporation, Blu EV, Zembo, Charge, Roam Electric, Shift EV and Dodai. Others are Gogo Electric, Kofa, ARC Ride, Solar Taxi, Kabisa, Saglev, Wahu Mobility, EVTech and eMo Mobility. 

• The hiring highlights the sector’s continuous rapid growth trajectory, with our analysis revealing that the companies have added 1,430 staff to their workforce over the last 12 months.  

More details

• Tesla has been by far the most active recruiter on the continent, hiring 967 new workers over the last 12 months. This brings its total employee count in Africa to 1,494 workers spread across more than 32 countries. Tesla’s employees on the continent work in various business segments, especially its energy storage business. The company is also set to sell its electric cars in Morocco, a first in Africa. 

• Electric motorcycle company Spiro, Africa’s largest, has been the second largest recruiter, growing its workforce to 469. Over the last one year, the company has increased its staff count by 209 as it quickly scales operations. Spiro entered Cameroon and Tanzania this year, bringing its total markets to eight. The company has sold more than 35,000 electric motorcycles to date. 

• Ampersand, an electric motorcycle company that operates in Kenya and Rwanda, emerged fourth, growing its workforce by 55 during the same period, according to LinkedIn data. Its workforce listed on the platform has grown to 240, one of the largest. The company last week raised $7 million from British International Investment (BII) and a further undisclosed sum from seven other investors. 

• Uganda-based electric bus manufacturer Kiira Motors Corporation and its Kenyan counterpart BasiGo closed the top five, growing their workforce by 49 and 37 respectively during the 12-month period. China’s BYD and Ethiopian electric motorcycle startup also grew rapidly, adding 33 and 29 workers.

• Gogo Electric, a Ugandan electric motorcycle startup, grew its staff count by 22, while Egyptian duo Shift EV and Blu EV added 15 workers apiece to close the top ten. Uganda’s Zembo added 12 workers, while Nigerian duo Saglev and MAX added eight and six staff respectively. 

• Other electric mobility startups that grew their workforce include Ghana’s Wahu Mobility and Kofa (+6 each), Rwanda’s Kabisa (+5), South Africa’s Zero Carbon Charge and Senegal’s Mbay Mobility (+3 each), and Tanzania’s eMo Mobility (+1). Ivory Coast’s EV Tech did not record a change in its workforce size during the one-year period. 

• On the flip side, five companies have trimmed their workforce, which some have attributed to realignments in their operations. Kenya’s ARC Ride has reduced its workforce by one person, while South Africa’s MellowVans has trimmed its staff count by three people. Rubicon, a charging company based in South Africa, has lost 34 workers, which is the highest. Meanwhile, Ghana’s Solar Taxi and Kenya’s Roam Electric reduce their workforce by seven and six workers respectively. 

Our take

• The aggressive hiring by Tesla, Spiro, Ampersand, and others signals that larger, well-funded players are preparing to dominate, which could squeeze out smaller startups unless they find strong niches or strategic partnerships.

• Companies like Spiro entering new markets and Tesla spreading across 32 countries show that regional expansion is becoming the norm. Expect more cross-border moves as firms race to secure first-mover advantage in untapped EV markets.

• While many firms are scaling, layoffs at companies like Rubicon and Solar Taxi suggest that not all business models are sustainable yet. More restructuring could follow as companies refine strategies to survive in Africa’s tough price-sensitive and infrastructure-constrained environment.