By Qudsia Bano

Africa's accelerating shift towards electric mobility is opening a new export avenue for Pakistan's engineering sector. The country's established manufacturing base in two- and three-wheelers, auto parts and emerging electric vehicles (EVs) is well positioned to meet growing demand for affordable mobility solutions across the continent.

Pakistan's competitive advantage lies in low-cost electric motorcycles, rickshaws, components and battery systems—segments in which domestic manufacturers have already developed production capabilities. Industry experts believe these strengths could help local companies integrate into Africa's fast-growing electric mobility market.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), electric two- and three-wheelers remained the world's most electrified road transport segment in 2025, with global sales reaching around 11 million units and accounting for nearly 15% of total sales in the category. Although Africa's EV market remains relatively small, growth has been strongest in the low-cost vehicle segments where Pakistani manufacturers are already active.

The Africa E-Mobility Alliance's 2025 Status Report shows the continent had at least 30,000 active electric vehicles by May 2025. Electric two- and three-wheelers recorded year-on-year growth of 38%, while electric buses expanded by 44%. Tanzania led the electric two- and three-wheeler market with an estimated 10,000 units, followed by Kenya with 8,421, Togo with 4,000 and Uganda with 3,200. Egypt had 200 electric buses, Senegal 155 and Kenya 54, indicating that demand is expanding beyond private passenger vehicles.

The momentum is also being driven by supportive policy reforms across Africa. On April 30, 2026, African transport and energy ministers endorsed the Continental Framework on Electric Mobility during the African Union's Specialized Technical Committee on Transport and Energy meeting in Johannesburg. The framework seeks to attract investment, improve mobility systems and accelerate the transition to cleaner transport.

Kenya has emerged as one of the most promising destinations for Pakistani exporters. On February 3, 2026, its Ministry of Roads and Transport launched the National Electric Mobility Policy, noting that wider EV adoption could reduce the country's annual petroleum import bill of around US$5 billion. Kenya has zero-rated VAT on electric buses, bicycles, motorcycles and lithium-ion batteries, while excise duty on electric bicycles, motorcycles and lithium-ion batteries has also been reduced to zero. These incentives have created opportunities for Pakistani suppliers of electric motorcycles, battery packs, chargers and vehicle components.

Ethiopia is moving even faster. On May 25, 2026, its Ministry of Transport and Logistics, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), launched the Ethiopia E-Mobility Strategy 2025-2030. UNECA projected the country's EV fleet to increase from 7,000 vehicles in 2023 to 115,000 by the end of 2026. According to the IEA, the strategy also envisages the establishment of 1,176 charging centres in Addis Ababa and another 1,054 across regional areas by 2030.

Pakistan's own EV industry is also expanding. Under the National Electric Vehicle (NEV) Policy 2025-2030, the government aims for electric vehicles to account for 30% of all new vehicle sales by 2030. The FY2025-26 budget allocates Rs9 billion to support the purchase of 116,053 electric motorcycles and 3,171 electric rickshaws. Meanwhile, PACRA's November 2025 auto parts review, based on Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) and Pakistan Economic Survey data, shows the country produced 1.51 million two- and three-wheelers during FY2024-25, including 32,923 electric units.

Industry experts believe Africa's transition to electric mobility offers Pakistan an opportunity to diversify engineering exports beyond traditional markets. They say success will depend not only on competitive products but also on reliable after-sales service, local partnerships, technical compliance and long-term engagement with rapidly evolving African markets.

Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, Shahzaib Amjad, Operations Manager at Jolta Electric, said Pakistan's existing manufacturing capabilities align well with Africa's growing demand for affordable electric mobility solutions.

He said durable electric motorcycles, rickshaw kits, controllers, battery packs, chargers and dependable after-sales support could become Pakistan's most competitive export offerings.

However, Amjad cautioned that price competitiveness alone would not be enough.

"African motorcycle taxi fleets operate for long hours every day. Pakistani exporters should accompany pilot exports with spare-parts availability, mechanic training and warranty support in markets such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Senegal before pursuing large-scale commercial orders," he said.

Muhammad Farrukh, Director of Fusion Engineering Private Limited, told Wealth Pakistan that Africa's transition to electric mobility dovetails perfectly with Pakistan's strengths in affordable engineering products, components and light vehicle manufacturing.

He said completely knocked down (CKD) and semi-knocked down (SKD) kits could prove more attractive than fully assembled vehicles because many African countries encourage local assembly to support domestic industrial development.

Farrukh also emphasized the importance of affordability, noting that Pakistani manufacturers already produce electric scooters capable of travelling up to 120 kilometres on a single charge while offering relatively low purchase and operating costs. Such products, he said, are well suited to the needs of African consumers seeking economical, reliable and easy-to-maintain transport.

He added that Pakistan's export potential would improve further if government agencies actively connected local EV manufacturers with African distributors, homologation laboratories and development finance institutions.

Credit: INP-WealthPk