Africa E-Mobility Forum Demands Urgent Action on EV Investment
African countries and regional institutions have been urged to accelerate investment, industrialisation and regional cooperation to drive the adoption of electric mobility across the continent.
The call was made at the Africa E-Mobility Week & Forum 2026, held in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where participants said African countries must move from policy commitments to coordinated implementation to unlock the energy, environmental and economic benefits of electric mobility.
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the forum, jointly organised by the African Union Commission, UNEP, ECA and the Africa E-Mobility Alliance, brought together governments, businesses, financiers, academics, international organisations and civil society under the theme, “The African E-Mobility Strategy: From Policy to Action.”
During the opening high-level panel, ECA’s Officer-in-Charge of the Connectivity and Infrastructure Development Section, Yohannes Hailu, said the transition to electric mobility could reduce Africa’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, improve air quality and energy security, stimulate innovation and increase local value addition from the continent’s critical minerals.
According to the ECA, Hailu identified four immediate priorities: local manufacturing and regional electric vehicle value chains; charging infrastructure and energy readiness; finance and incentives; as well as skills, awareness, innovation and research.
The forum also highlighted the need for stronger vehicle safety and environmental standards as electric mobility expands across African markets.
ECA Transport Specialist Placide Badji stressed the importance of applying existing United Nations regulations to support vehicle safety, environmental performance and industrial development, including UN Regulation No. 100, which covers the safety of electric powertrain vehicles and protection against high-voltage risks.
The forum’s Joint Declaration called for increased local electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly, battery-material processing, affordable financing, charging infrastructure, renewable-energy integration and greater opportunities for young people and women.
Participants also called for the harmonisation and implementation of standards covering vehicles, batteries, charging systems, payment compatibility and interoperability, alongside appropriate rules for used-EV imports and the reuse, recycling and disposal of batteries.
The declaration urged the African Union Commission, regional economic communities and member states to accelerate policy alignment and cross-border cooperation while leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area to reduce trade barriers and develop competitive regional electric vehicle value chains.
Participants further called for the creation of an Africa-wide electric-mobility database. Hailu also proposed establishing a pan-African electric vehicle observatory to track EV adoption, charging infrastructure, energy demand, environmental impacts and job creation.
The forum was held from September 28 to 30, 2026, at the start of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026–2035, with participants emphasising the need to link electric mobility with renewable energy, industrial development, regional integration, innovation and job creation.
