EV sales are accelerating on the continent but still far behind global uptake. High acquisition costs stand in the way of the undoubted environmental benefits.

Solution needed: The single biggest lever to boost EV growth and reach sustainability is to focus on converting entire corporate fleets of vehicles. 

• African consumers buy lots of cars every year, but most are second hand, usually imported from Europe and Asia – and far from electric. 

Business rules: The corporate sector dominates the African market for new cars in a way that is unknown in more developed economies. 

• Commercial vehicles made up 86% of new car sales in Kenya last year.

• Corporate buyers are disproportionately cash-rich in Africa. 

• So that's where the buying power to transition the market can be found. 

Government first: African politicians have become green champions in recent years, while sitting on the largest vehicle budgets on the continent. 

• Kenya's leaders spent $1.3 billion on cars a year (1.1% of GDP!), making them the country’s biggest buyers. 

• The UN is another case, acquiring thousands of white Toyota Landcruisers at a time.

• Foreign missions also represent a significant part of the high-end car market.

The rest: Private sector fleets account for much of the remaining market. 

• Logistics and bus companies operate large fleets, given the poverty of rail transport.

• Giant oil and mining companies perpetually invest vast sums in new vehicles.

• Telcos operate big tanker fleets to fuel mobile phone towers running on generators.

• Nonprofits are among Africa’s largest and best-motorised organisations.

Key question: How many fleet vehicles are there in Africa?

• Conservative estimates suggest there are 10 to 12 million across the continent. 

• South Africa had 2.3 million last year and is expected to reach 3.8 million in 2028.

By comparison: Managing and converting fleets is big business in developed countries. 

• The global fleet management market is valued at $8 billion and growing 10% a year.

• 54% of new US cars are in fleets, compared to 25% in Asia and 18% in Europe.

• Up to 65% of fleet growth in developed economies is in electric vehicles. 

The key: Relatively few (and often highly efficient) managers make the purchasing decisions on fleet conversions. Offering them the right incentives would be doable.

• Replacing private fuel cars may take a generation. But fleets turn over much faster. 

• In developed countries, fleet vehicles are replaced on average every three years. 

Good news: Transitioning entire fleets to EVs is starting to happen in Africa, even at government level.

• Kenya’s president this month announced the purchase of 1,000 electric vehicles for officials and police.

• Ethiopia imposed a ban on fossil fuel car imports for foreign diplomatic missions.

Corporate headstart: Individual companies still have the largest impact though. 

• Shift EV, a startup, is converting half the delivery fleet of Danone Egypt. 

• DHL, the logistics firm, is partnering with Volkswagen to go electric in South Africa. 

• Fleet manager IZI is beginning the electrification of buses in Rwanda’s capital.

Critical support: Startups in Africa’s mobility space play a crucial role in fleet conversions. 

• South Africa’s GoMetro is making major innovations in fleet data management and electric vehicle transitions. 

• It targets to decarbonise South Africa's public transport system, a fleet of approximately 250,000 vehicles. 

• The electric motorbike fleet market, which has even more units than cars, is moving fast too, driven by startups such as Ampersand. 

Even faster: Policymakers are now asking how to force an even quicker pace of fleet conversions. Some are opting for targeted import duty reductions. 

• Tunisia, Uganda and Kenya have recently passed rules aimed at lowering or temporarily eliminating taxes or tariffs on certain EVs. 

Ultimate aim: Converting corporate fleets could be a springboard for private EV purchases. 

• With guaranteed corporate demand, more charging stations would be built, which in turn would attract more private EV buyers.