What a hiring spree says about mobility companies

From the newsletter

Africa’s top 10 electric mobility companies increased their workforce by 1,235 over the last 12 months, underlining their rapid growth. An analysis by Mobility Rising shows that the companies now have 2,952 employees to support their operations. US electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla shows a net gain of 833 new employees, accounting for 67% of the increase. 

• The rapid growth in demand for EVs in Africa is pushing companies to hire new workers to sustain and grow their operations. While hiring is diverse across various functions, most hires work in engineering, sales and operations roles. 

• Companies are diversifying into new revenue streams such as battery swapping and charging stations, selling AC home chargers, and battery energy storage systems. This diversification is expanding the number of roles needed at these companies. 

More details

• Tesla now has 1,298 employees in Africa, an increase of 64% from May 2024. Most of the workers are based in Nigeria (14%), Morocco (14%), Egypt (11%), Kenya, South Africa and Algeria (10% each). Tesla has been building charging infrastructure in Morocco, while it is also expanding its battery energy storage business across the continent.

• Electric motorcycle company Spiro moved to the second spot in our rankings, having made a net gain of 163 workers during the period. The company now has 358 employees, out of which 88 work in sales. Spiro continues to expand, and last week launched in Cameroon and Tanzania, which could see it hire additional staff.

• BYD, which is poised to become the world’s top EV seller this year, is also making moves in Africa, powering it to third in our ranking. The company, which is now in more than a dozen African countries where it has launched multiple EV models, has 99 employees, marking a net addition of 22 workers over the past year.

• Ampersand, an integrated electric vehicle and renewable energy company operating in Rwanda and Kenya, emerged fourth. The company, a leading seller of electric motorcycles, has 228 workers having made a net acquisition of 82 in the past 12 months.

• Max, a Nigerian startup that sells electric motorcycles on a rent-to-own model, emerged fifth in our ranking. The company’s success in Nigeria has propelled it to expand to Ghana and Cameroon. It had a net gain of 29 employees during the period, raising its staff count to 416.

• Kenya-based electric bus manufacturer BasiGo and its Ugandan counterpart Kiira Motors Corporation ranked sixth and seventh respectively. BasiGo had a net increase of 34 employees during the 12-month period, taking its staff count to 102. A net gain of 43 workers has also raised Kiira’s headcount to 112.

• Kenyan electric motorcycle company Roam Electric and Egyptian charging firm Shift EV emerged eighth and ninth respectively. Roam had a net loss of 14 workers during the period, cutting its headcount to 112. Shift had a net gain of12 employees, raising its workforce to 84.

• Uganda’s electric motorcycle and battery company Gogo Electric finished tenth in our ranking. The company, which has 117 workers, recorded a net increase of its workforce by 31 between May 2024 and May 2025. 

Our take

• The momentum in hiring will likely persist, with companies focusing on roles in engineering, battery technology, and renewable energy integration. Expansion into new markets—especially for Spiro, Ampersand, and Max—will drive fresh recruitment, particularly in sales and local operations.

• More firms will diversify into battery swapping stations, given the demand for accessible charging solutions, especially for electric motorcycles. Tesla’s expansion in battery energy storage could prompt African startups to integrate energy storage solutions alongside EV charging.

• Investment in Africa’s EV ecosystem—from venture capital and strategic partnerships—will likely increase as companies demonstrate scalability and revenue diversification.This could see companies increase hiring.