The Africa EV Show
Join Nairobi-based multimedia journalist Njenga Hakeenah as he explores the fast-evolving world of electric mobility across Africa. From cutting-edge EVs and electrified scooters to industry trends and clean energy innovations, this podcast delivers expert insights and in-depth conversations with key players driving Africa's electric revolution. Listeners will meet some of the smartest, most creative tech entrepreneurs on the continent who are shaping the future of transportation. Stay plugged into the future of mobility on The Africa EV Show!
Episodes
China's EV Tech For Kenyan Farmers' Electric Trikes
China's electric vehicle technology is increasingly finding its way into Africa through an unexpected route: locally built and adapted mobility. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, Njenga Hakeenah travels more than 500 kilometers with Samwel Kimani, founder of the Tumaini vocational center, to explore how Kenyan innovators are using Chinese EV components to build electric three-wheelers for far
Chinese EV Expansion Changing Kenya's Cars, Skills and Mobility Industry
Kenya's electric vehicle market has changed significantly in the past two years, and Chinese EV technology, vehicles, batteries, diagnostics, and manufacturing capacity are playing a central role in that shift. In this interview, Alex Munene, CEO and founder of Advanced Mobility Kenya, speaks with Njenga Hakeenah about the rapid growth of e-mobility in Kenya, the expansion of Chinese EV brands, lo
The China Price Paradox and Africa's Assistive Tech Industry Survival
In this episode of The Africa EV Show, Njenga Hakeenah speaks with Bernard Chiira, director and co-founder of Innovate Now, Africa's premier assistive technology accelerator, which focuses on driving the success of assistive technologies to enable mobility for people living with disabilities. While the conversation focuses on how electric mobility and Chinese EV technology could transform mobility
Kenya's EV Charging Gamble: Chinese Hardware, African Roads, Local Solutions
China is shaping the technology behind Africa's EV transition — but how can African companies build their own charging infrastructure around it? In this episode, we speak with Tony Gathecha, Managing Director of SupaChaja, a Nairobi-based EV charging company building a charging network designed for Kenya's growing electric vehicle market. SupaChaja began its journey in 2023 by developing a softwar
Bingo E2 Seeks to Be Africa's "Airbnb" EV For Ride-Hailing
China's electric vehicle industry is expanding rapidly across Africa, and Kenya has become one of the key markets where new business models are being tested before they take shape across the continent. In this episode of the Africa EV Show, we speak with Christian Scheder, co-founder of Bingo, about why the company is introducing the Bingo E2 electric vehicle with an ecosystem built specifically f
What Electric Motorcycle Buyers are Looking for
Africa's electric motorcycle revolution is accelerating—and commercial motorcycle riders are leading the transition. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, host Njenga Hakeenah speaks with Moses Musinguzi, Sales and Operations Manager at Zeno Uganda, who started his career as a boda boda rider before rising to manage electric motorcycle operations across East Africa. This conversation explores why
The Electric Highway Linking Nairobi to Kigali
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) technology is proving to be the easily available option for countries seeking to cushion their economies from expensive fuel imports, which have been exacerbated by the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. While this has made lives more difficult, the upside is that, for many fuel-importing countries, it's been a silver lining, as they're now pivoting to electrons for their m
How EVs Are Slashing Tourism Costs in Rwanda
Electric mobility is quietly transforming Africa's tourism sector and Kigali, Rwanda, is emerging as a leading case study. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, we speak with Edwidge Cyuzuzo, COO of Izuba EVs, about how her company is using Chinese electric vehicles to power a new model of green tourism. From dramatically lower operating costs to reduced dependence on imported fuel, EVs are resha
From Diesel to Solar: How Nigerian School is Cutting its Energy Costs
A quiet energy revolution is unfolding in Lagos and it's happening inside a school. In this episode, we sit down with Bukola Oluwalade, Director of Abba's Heart Schools, to explore how one institution is rethinking energy, transport, and sustainability from the ground up. From fully solar-powered classrooms to electric school buses, this is a real-world case study of how Africa can leapfrog into a
How China's EV Model Is Reshaping Tanzania's Electric Mobility Future
Africa's electric mobility transition is not happening the way most headlines suggest. It's not just about importing new EVs — it's about converting existing vehicles, building local systems, and using data to make mobility work. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, Arnold Mwangakala, founder of Smart Haven Tanzania, breaks down how lessons from China's EV ecosystem, from supply chains to batter
Building Nigeria's EV Industry to Cut Fuel Bills and Create Jobs
This week, The Africa EV Show heads to Nigeria, where one company is tackling three of the country's biggest challenges at once: rising fuel costs, urban air pollution, and the urgent need for industrial jobs. Our guest, Dr. Sam Faleye, is the director of Saglev, a company with an ambitious mission to accelerate the shift from internal combustion engines to electric mobility in emerging markets. S
China's Electric Buses in Africa: Clean Transport or a New Dependency?
As African cities grow, they are choking even faster from diesel-belching public transport vehicles, which remain the backbone of urban life. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, we explore how Chinese electric buses (e-buses) are reshaping urban mobility across the continent and whether this shift represents true industrial transformation or simply a new form of dependency. Drawing lessons from
The Silent Crisis Killing African EV Manufacturing
In this episode, we go behind the scenes of African hardware innovation with Eugene Wang'ombe, founder of Husksberry Engineering. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, we explore the real challenges and strategic choices facing local manufacturers who are building advanced products like electric go-karts from the ground up. Wang'ombe reveals why China remains the go-to source for critical compone
Petrol to Plug: Inside Ghana's EV and Used Car Market
Can electric vehicles really thrive in a country where second-hand petrol and diesel cars still rule the roads? 🇬🇭 In this episode of The Africa EV Show, host Njenga Hakeenah sits down with Eddie Opoku, founder of Ghana's Ryde Channel, to unpack the realities of electric mobility in one of West Africa's most dynamic car markets. From the streets of Accra, where Chinese-made EVs are popping up besi
Training Africa's EV Technicians: How Kenya is Preparing For E-Mobility Future
In this episode of The Africa EV Show, host Njenga Hakeenah sits down with Alex Mũnene, Founder and fleet mobility expert at Advanced Mobility Kenya, to explore how training programs are shaping the continent's electric vehicle shift. From driver and mechanic training to policy and investment lessons from Rwanda, Ethiopia, and the DRC, this episode dives deep into how skills development, education
Local Assembly & Chinese EVs Powering Kenya's Electric Vehicle Shift
Welcome to The Africa EV Show, where we explore the forces driving Africa's clean mobility revolution from policy and technology to the people shaping the future of transport. In this episode, host Njenga Hakeenah sits down with Dennis Wakaba, an e-mobility consultant and industry expert, to unpack Kenya's double approach to help with the shift to e-mobility from importing fully built EVs to assem
The Underground EV Revolution Driven by a Kenyan's Billion-Dollar Vision
Discover the silent, under-the-radar electric vehicle revolution happening in Kenya! In this episode of The Africa EV Show, Njenga Hakeenah sits down with Peter Kihara, the visionary behind Teachers Transporters. Kihara shares his incredible journey from the traditional transport industry to becoming a pioneer in customizing and importing Chinese electric vehicles ranging from motorcycles to tuk-t
Citi's Approach to Financing Africa's Green Mobility
The African electric vehicle (EV) market is projected to grow by 25 percent annually over the next five years. This means that stakeholders, including financiers, have to plan for this expansion if they are to benefit from the sector. In this week's conversation, Kwasi Frimpong from Citi discusses the challenges and opportunities in financing EVs in African countries. He highlights the economic ba
Customer Feedback Shaping Spiro's E-bike Design in Uganda
E-mobility is beginning to take root in Uganda, and for companies like Spiro, success has hinged on listening closely to customers. Just over a year after entering the market, Spiro has installed more than 150 charging stations nationwide, underscoring the demand for affordable mobility solutions. Central to its approach is a feedback-driven model of product development. Instead of relying solely
Why Africa's EV Revolution is Stuck at the Border: The Hidden Trade Barriers Killing Electric Mobility
This episode of The Africa EV show delves into the critical challenges facing electric mobility in Africa, particularly focusing on intra-African trade barriers. The discussion highlights how tariff walls, customs friction, and inconsistent standards hinder the movement of electric vehicle components and finished products across borders. The conversation also explores the role of the African Cont
Youthful Technicians Building Malawi's E-bikes Driven by Chinese Tech
In this conversation, SGV co-founder and director, Evan Liu, joins The Africa EV Show host Njenga Hakeenah to discuss the evolving landscape of electric mobility in Africa, with a particular focus on Malawi's efforts to electrify transportation through SGV's initiatives. The conversation examines the challenges of raising capital in the African market, the dynamics of global supply chains, and the
How China's EV Price War Could Disrupt Africa's Auto Future
The electric vehicle market is heating up, but not in the way you might expect. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, host Njenga Hakeenah is joined by Lei Xing, co-host of China EVs & More, to unpack the brutal price war currently shaking up the global EV industry and the implications for Africa's emerging EV landscape. At the center of this pricing battle is China's EV giant BYD, which recently
Kenyan Startup Targets to Dethrone Bolt, Uber in Ride-Hailing Space
In this episode of The Africa EV Show, we spotlight a bold new player disrupting Kenya's ride-hailing sector—not with cars, but electric two-wheelers. Meet Kijani Boda, a homegrown startup betting big on EV motorbikes powered largely by Chinese technology. As Kenya pushes toward a greener mobility future, Kijani Boda is positioning itself as a hyper-local alternative to giants like Uber and Bolt,
Chinese Tech Enhancing Mobility for Kenya's Wheelchair Users
In this impactful episode of The Africa EV Show, we speak with Jorgs Mbugua (CEO of eBikes Africa) and Dan Kamau (CEO of Ace Mobility), two Kenyan innovators transforming mobility for people with disabilities across the Global South. They share how locally-built electric wheelchair attachments and adapted vehicles break barriers, reimagining Chinese EV platforms through partnerships with India, Co
AI in Kenya's EV Shift Struggles to Keep Pace With Chinese Tech
Kenya is emerging as a leader in Africa's electric vehicle (EV) adoption, but how is artificial intelligence (AI) accelerating this transformation? In this episode of The Africa EV Show, Njenga Hakeenah sits down with Warren Ondanje, Managing Director of the Africa E-Mobility Alliance (AfEMA), to explore AI's role in Kenya's mobility future. From optimizing battery performance and smart charging t
Orbit Electric Leveraging Chinese Tech For Nigeria's EV Adoption
This week on The Africa EV Show we're skipping the climate pitch and diving into the business playbook—discussing market segmentation, distribution, customer financing, and what it takes to scale an EV hardware company in a challenging yet high-potential market like Nigeria. In this episode of the Africa EV Show, Njenga Hakeenah interviews Kenneth Ukpabia, CEO of Orbit Electric, about the company'
From Petrol to Electrons: Senegal's Leap into Clean e-Boat Tech
Empowering local mechanics through hands-on training to reduce dependence on imported fuel is creating opportunities in tourism, fishing, and green innovation, demonstrating scalable solutions for Senegal's clean energy future in e-mobility. This week, we spotlight Jokosun Energies, a Senegalese company leading the charge in clean energy and electric mobility on West Africa's waterways. Raymond Sa
Ethiopia's ICE Vehicle Ban Boosts Chinese EVs, Local Assembly
In this week's episode of the Africa EV Show, CGSP's Njenga Hakeenah focuses on Ethiopia and its radical ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. There are increasingly more Chinese electric vehicle brands in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, not only for personal cars but also for ride-hailing, mass movement of people, and transportation of goods. Ethiopia has taken one of Africa's most a
How Kenya is Training the Next Generation of EV Mechanics & Owners
Kenya's push for EV-trained mechanics is well in time as the country moves toward a greener future in mobility. But with new technology comes new challenges: How do we train technicians for this electric vehicle wave? What do drivers need to know to avoid costly mistakes? And can Kenya's power grid handle the surge?" To answer these questions, Njenga Hakeenah sat with Alex Munene, Founder of Adva
How Nigeria is Switching From Oil to EVs
Michael Agbor says that when Nigerians ask: 'Can you drive an EV in the rain?' I show them videos of EVs plowing through 1-meter floods!" There's no better marketing tool than showing confidence in what you sell. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, Njenga Hakeenah engages with Michael Agbor, the General Manager of EV World Nigeria, which offers 360-degree EV vehicle consultancy. The sister co
The State of EVs in East Africa: Challenges & Opportunities
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania combined have an estimated 15,000 EVs on the road with two wheelers dominating the market at more than 90 per cent of the total. Focusing on the three East African countries, the discussion analyzes the capabilities of off-grid power to handle the shift to electric mobility and the policies shaping the industry. The conversation also looks at local EV manufacturing as th
Solar Taxi Solving Adoption Challenges in Ghana as Chinese EVs Gain Popularity
In Ghana, a fascinating company that started back in 2019 when EV tech was still very new came up with an ingenious idea to get around the power problems for their EVs. This company, Solar Taxi, imported a bunch of low-cost Chinese solar panels to charge a fleet of EV taxis in Ghana built using components sourced from China and India. It was an idea way ahead of its time. Today, Solar Taxi sells s
From Motorcycle Taxis in Kenya to E-Tricycles in Sierra Leone, Africa Is Building Its Own EV Ecosystem
When Moses Sandy travelled to China with his prototype, he knew that Sierra Leone needed reliable and clean transport that could easily be powered not by gasoline but by the abundant energy harnessed from the sun. In the heart of Freetown, Sandy's prototype has become a game changer that has made the city a little quieter with only the hum of the tricycles' engines and the air a little less pollut
