Connect with us
Anglostratits

Business

New report shines spotlight on e-mobility innovators unlocking access to the US$3.65bn motorcycle market

Published

3 years ago

on

motorcycle market

More than 90% of electric motorcycles sold in sub-Saharan Africa are imported from China and India and are not built for African conditions

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 29, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Electric motorcycles are set to be a dominant force in sub-Saharan Africa’s sustainable mobility transformation, but continued investment in start-ups tackling barriers across the value chain will be critical to maximise the full potential, says a report recently released by the Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) (https://www.PREO.org) programme.

Two-wheelers are quicker and more easily manoeuvrable than four-wheeled vehicles, especially across sub-Saharan Africa, where countries often have poor-quality roads. Motorcycles also provide stable income opportunities. The Charging Ahead – Accelerating e-mobility in Africa (https://apo-opa.info/40Es1zQ) report from PREO outlines the market opportunity for e-motorcycles to become a driving force in the African e-mobility sector as, according to analysis by Mordor Intelligence, the market for motorcycles in Africa was worth US$3.65bn in 2021, and is projected to grow to US$5.07bn by 2027.

However, to accelerate progress in the e-mobility sector and meet the demands of a rapidly expanding customer base for two-wheelers, there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed. These include improving the availability of durable hardware, reliable charging infrastructure and access to high-quality battery solutions.

According to industry estimates, more than 90% of electric motorcycles sold in sub-Saharan Africa are imported from China and India and are not built for African conditions. Poor grid infrastructure means baseline electricity access is not reliable enough to support renewable battery recharge networks, and the electricity supply is weak. In addition, high-quality battery suppliers prioritise global buyers able to order at volume, which leaves small start-ups out of the picture.

The report examines how three PREO-supported companies – Roam (previously Opibus), Mobile Power and Zembo – are successfully addressing each of these barriers, and together are providing the solutions needed to support an enabling ecosystem to accelerate progress across the entire e-mobility sector.

Durable hardware – Roam is a Swedish-Kenyan company that manufactures robust electric motorcycles in Kenya. The company is demonstrating that with the support of local manufacturing and assembly, the final price of electric motorcycles can be lowered to compete with ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles while also customising the product to local conditions. Roam has now acquired the capacity to fully design the vehicles and manufacture 35% of them in-house with a goal to reach 70% in the next three to five years.

The company plans to expand beyond Kenya to other African markets through strategic partnerships, raise US$17.5 million in equity and debt for working capital and hopes to supply Uber with 3,000 electric motorcycles for its delivery services across sub-Saharan Africa.

Reliable charging infrastructure – Ugandan company Zembo has developed a solution to enable the roll-out of e-motorcycles in areas with weak and unreliable access to electricity by using solar energy to charge the batteries.

Investing in e-motorcycles provides a path to more sustainable and equitable growth across African communities and addresses the urgent issue of climate change

In Uganda, Zembo operates 27 battery-swap stations for electric motorcycles, considered one of the largest networks in the region. It sells motorcycles to taxi operators on a pay-as-you-go basis and provides batteries-as-a-service through its battery-swap network. 73% (personnel cost – 55%, rent – 18%) of the monthly cost of operating a swap station is fixed cost in nature, delaying profitability and slowing down expansion.

Zembo’s scale-up strategy involves expanding its network using risk-sharing mechanisms such as franchisee models, and reducing personnel costs by deploying automatic swap cabinets. The company is also installing solar power solutions for off-grid areas and hybrid power for on-grid areas with weak or unreliable grids. This will enable batteries to be charged even in areas that are not on the grid and during grid blackouts. Zembo plans to expand its fleet to more than 2 000 motorcycles and 60 swap stations by 2025.

High-quality battery solutions – Mobile Power operates in Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria and is tackling the scarcity of high-quality battery technologies for small-scale businesses. The company has developed clean energy storage products (lithium-ion batteries) that it offers to businesses and individuals through a rental model. Since 2017, Mobile Power has grown its rental business to 500,000 rentals every month and is gaining 2,000 new customers every week at its peak growth periods.

Mobile Power is now replicating its rental model in the mobility sector and generator replacement sector by leveraging the same technology components: batteries, battery management systems and battery charging hubs. The company has now reached a stage whereby it can manufacture robust batteries tailored to African conditions at scale for its in-house use and satisfy the demand of its electric mobility peers. Mobile Power’s pay-per-use battery-swap model enables customers to access the service based on their needs.

Jon Lane, PREO Programme Director, comments: “Investing in e-motorcycles provides a path to more sustainable and equitable growth across African communities and addresses the urgent issue of climate change. Through our work with several start-ups, we have identified opportunities for a full ecosystem of solutions that address challenges across the value chain. We hope this report demonstrates the impressive progress being made by companies in the e-mobility sector and will act as a call for investors, policymakers and partners to engage and collaborate to help meet the scale of the challenge.”

PREO (https://www.PREO.org) is funded by the IKEA Foundation (https://IKEAFoundation.org) and UK aid (https://TEA.CarbonTrust.com) (via the Transforming Energy Access platform), and is delivered by the Carbon Trust (https://www.CarbonTrust.com) and Energy 4 Impact (https://Energy4Impact.org). To date, it has supported 27 productive-use-of-energy enterprises across 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, four of which are in the e-mobility sector.

Click here to download PREO’s Charging Ahead – Accelerating e-mobility in Africa report: https://apo-opa.info/40Es1zQ

Jono West, co-founder and Chair of Mobile Power: “PREO’s support has been incredibly valuable to us for de-risking our battery technology and business model. It has enabled us to grow and increase the rate of scale for the e-mobility business and capture learnings that now form the basis of future technology solutions we have in the pipeline, even beyond e-mobility. As a result of this PREO project, we are now in discussions with several new partners across the value chain, which will be announced in due course.”

Étienne Saint-Sernin, co-founder of Zembo: “We’ve already proved that our business model is profitable in urban on-grid areas. Now, this PREO-co-funded project will give us the opportunity to prove that our solar-powered solution is viable and replicable in off-grid areas as well. We’ll then be in a strong position to unlock private investments to expand to other African countries.”

Filip Lövström, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Roam: “With the support from PREO we were able to accelerate and validate our product-market fit, refine our business models and design our next-generation electric motorcycle that is now ready to scale. PREO’s grant subsidised our early-stage production costs for pilots, and ultimately helped us reach commercialisation of a product that puts more earnings into end-users’ pockets and creates a positive environmental impact.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO).

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Business

$2.1 Billion and Counting: African Real Estate Is Executing

Published

6 hours ago

on

July 21, 2026

By

Africa

Ahead of the 17th Africa Property Investment (API) Summit in Cape Town, investment pipelines are converting into a record number of transactions as the continent’s real estate and hospitality sectors move from potential into real momentum

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 21, 2026/APO Group/ –Verified data gathered from across Africa’s real estate investment landscape reveals that the continent’s leading property and hospitality roleplayers completed more than $2.1 billion worth of transactions over the past 18 months, representing one of the most concentrated periods of institutional real estate deal activity in the continent’s history.

 

Download Document: https://apo-opa.co/3TraTiH

The 28 transactions (across nine countries and eight asset classes) were closed by API Summit stakeholders from across the institutional property ecosystem – spanning listed capital markets, commercial, residential, hospitality, logistics and alternatives.

The full African Deals Index report – compiled in collaboration with Broll, the data and insights partner for API Summit 2026 – will be unveiled on the opening day of the event, taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 17 and 18 September.

Talk turning to investment action

The deal-making activity is a signal of the much-spoken-about potential for Africa converting into tangible action, driven by enhanced investor confidence.

“This isn’t a forecast – it’s a balance sheet. $2.1 billion in completed transactions tells you African real estate has moved past the conversation about potential and into the discipline of execution,” said Malcolm Horne, Group CEO of Broll Property Group.

Horne highlighted several key shifts reflected in the data.

“What’s notable is where the conviction is coming from: domestic pension capital acting as a structuring investor, not a passive landlord, and green-linked financing becoming a board-level decision, not a marketing line. At Broll, we see this in our own data every day – across the assets we manage, the cost of capital is increasingly tied to the quality of the asset, not just its location.

“That’s the market maturing in real time, and it’s exactly the momentum my team and I are looking forward to presenting and unpacking at API this year.”

The 17th Annual API Summit takes place under the theme Bold Capital. Real Momentum. and is expected to attract over 600 delegates from more than 30 countries.

Niyi Adeyele, Head of Real Estate Finance, Africa Regions at Standard Bank Group, commented on the evolution of real estate sector funding across Africa.

“It remains interesting to track the resilience and the evolution of activities in the sector, from growing capital market activities, to the rapidly increasing participation of domestic capital sources within the African continent from domestic focused institutional capital sources such as pension funds and family offices to pan-African investor platforms that tend to operate across multiple countries.”

He said that accordingly, sectoral activity levels remain positive, with the “growing pace of green field projects in key markets” providing “early indications of a new growth cycle for the sector”.

Investors now have listed, liquid exposure to African real estate, and issuers have a repeatable route to permanent capital

Major moves from domestic capital and DFIs

Domestic pension capital has moved decisively beyond its traditional role as a passive landlord, emerging as an active, structuring investor in African real estate – a shift that will be central to discussions at the summit.

The charge was led by South Africa’s Government Employees Pension Fund (through the Public Investment Corporation and retail property powerhouse Pareto), which concluded commercial, residential and industrial transactions valued at over $343.5 million since the start of 2025.

“Through the Standard Bank Group’s franchise operations across multiple countries, there are observed increase deployment of institutional capital to across key markets driving increased primary and secondary market activities,” said Adeyele, pointing to examples such as Grene Capital’s raising of $100 million from Nigerian pension for property investments in Nigeria and beyond.

Sustainability-linked deal leads the way

Sustainability remains a critical factor in real estate financing considerations – evidenced by the largest transaction completed over the past 18 months.

Standard Bank and its African Regions brand Stanbic (along with Rand Merchant Bank) acted as co-lender on a $300 million green financing facility to facilitate Lango’s bid to become Africa’s first Green Pure Play real estate company, with 90% of its portfolio certified according to international standards.

Amongst several other milestones, the Africa Logistics Property (ALP) Industrial REIT listing on the Nairobi Stock Exchange in March 2026 was notable as East Africa’s first listing featuring entirely IFC EDGE-certified green buildings.

Listed capital makes major moves

REIT capital markets were the second largest asset class by value across the period, accounting for $568.5 million of activity, with the action extending well beyond South Africa’s established counters.

East Africa welcomed ALP’s Industrial REIT (marking the region’s first industrial and first USD-denominated security); Centum’s TRIFIC Dollar I-REIT (the first green, income-distributing USD-denominated) and Acorn Holdings’ build-to-rent D-REIT.

On Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, the Pfuma Fund REIT and Eagle REIT both listed, deepening a hard-currency capital market that scarcely existed five years ago.

“Seeing multiple REITs listing on exchanges in one cycle tells you the asset class has crossed from novelty to norm. Investors now have listed, liquid exposure to African real estate, and issuers have a repeatable route to permanent capital,” said Raghav Gandhi, CEO of ALP.

API Summit 2026 – ushering in the next wave of deals

The unprecedented commitment of capital into Africa’s real estate sector takes centre stage when the 17th Annual API Summit convenes. Welcoming the investors, developers, financiers and policymakers behind the continent’s most prominent deals, this year’s event features a new Multifamily Forum alongside the popular Hospitality and Proptech Forums; an impactful main plenary, workshops, deals and meetings rooms and investment showcases, and the 10th edition of the prestigious API Awards.

For more information and to register, visit www.APISummit.co.za

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of API Events.

Continue Reading

Business

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Delivers on Responsible Scaling, Surpassing 2028 Carbon Intensity Target Three Years Early with Renewables at 83.2%

Published

12 hours ago

on

July 21, 2026

By

ST Telemedia

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 July 2026 – ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) today published its 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, setting out how the Singapore-headquartered global data centre provider is meeting accelerating demand, including from AI-driven workloads, through infrastructure that is more resilient, efficient and sustainable by design. The report highlights 83.2% renewable energy usage, a 70.5% reduction in carbon intensity from its 2021 baseline, 41.2% improvement in water usage effectiveness (WUE) from the 2020 baseline, and continued progress in embedding ESG considerations into how STT GDC designs, builds, finances and operates its data centres at scale.

The report positions responsible growth as a core business discipline for STT GDC, linking sustainability performance to long-term asset resilience, customer trust and operational excellence. Across its global platform, STT GDC is integrating ESG considerations into capital allocation, site selection, design, operations, risk management and workforce development to support reliable digital infrastructure at scale.

Bruno Lopez, President and Group Chief Executive Officer, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, says, “The next phase of digital growth will be defined by how the industry resolves the tension between rising demand — particularly from AI — and the finite nature of energy, water and land. Responsible scaling is therefore not a sustainability commitment alone; it is a commercial and operational imperative that shapes where we build, how we design, and how we run our data centre platform. Our 2025 progress reflects disciplined execution of a strategy we have been advancing for years, delivering meaningful improvements in energy efficiency, emissions and resource management across our global platform. As we scale further, we will continue to advance with the same discipline — in the infrastructure we build, the governance that underpins it, and the positive impact we create for the communities and ecosystems we are part of.”

Scaling efficient, lower-carbon infrastructure

STT GDC continued to advance its decarbonisation strategy in 2025, delivering measurable reductions in emissions and improvements in resource efficiency while scaling its global data centre platform to meet rising digital demand. The Group’s approach focuses on embedding sustainability into the design and operation of its infrastructure, enabling long-term performance while managing growing energy and resource requirements. Key environmental achievements include:

Furthered renewable energy adoption, with 83.2% of electricity consumption sourced from renewables, supporting STT GDC’s transition towards carbon-neutral operations by 2030.
Reduced carbon intensity by 70.5% from the 2021 baseline, surpassing STT GDC’s 2028 target three years ahead of schedule, alongside a 15.2% year-on-year reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Improved energy efficiency across operations, achieving an average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.44, a 13.0% improvement from the 2020 baseline, reflecting continued optimisation of data centre design and operations.
Enhanced water stewardship, with Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) improving by 41.2% from the 2020 baseline, supported by a balanced approach to managing energy and water use in cooling systems.
Continued progress in sustainable infrastructure, with 48% of its data centres achieving green building certification, reflecting the integration of sustainability considerations across the lifecycle of its facilities.
Building a safe and future-ready workforce

As STT GDC continues to scale its global data centre platform, investing in people, safety and workforce capabilities remains central to delivering reliable and sustainable operations. In 2025, the Group maintained a strong focus on safeguarding its workforce, strengthening organisational capability and supporting the development of future-ready talent to meet the growing demands of the digital economy. Key social achievements include:

Maintained strong safety performance, with zero work-related fatalities and a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.1 across more than 41 million hours worked, reflecting robust health and safety management across construction and operations.
Strengthened workforce capability, with an average of 18 training hours per employee, supporting the development of technical, operational and leadership skills across the organisation.
Advanced diversity and inclusion, with 21.7% women representation across the Group, reinforcing ongoing efforts to build a more inclusive and balanced workforce.
Expanded talent development initiatives, including the DC Power Up programme and partnerships with 10 Institutes of Higher Learning across our markets, helping to build a pipeline of industry-ready talent for the growing digital infrastructure sector.
Deepened community and workforce engagement, through skills development programmes and industry-academic partnerships that support long-term talent development and contribute to local economic growth.
Strengthening Governance and Resilience at Scale

Strong governance, disciplined risk management and robust operational controls underpin STT GDC’s ability to scale responsibly in an increasingly complex digital environment. In 2025, the Group continued to strengthen its enterprise-wide approach to governance, embedding ESG considerations into decision-making, risk management and day-to-day operations to support long-term resilience and performance. Key achievements include:

Strengthened governance and ethical business practices, with 100% of employees completing anti-corruption training, reinforcing STT GDC’s commitment to integrity and accountability across its global operations.
Enhanced enterprise-wide risk management, incorporating climate, cybersecurity and operational risks into planning and decision-making, ensuring infrastructure resilience as the Group scales.
Advanced cybersecurity and operational resilience, including strengthened governance, technical controls and preparedness through initiatives such as executive-level cyber exercises and risk assessments across key facilities.
Improved supply chain governance, embedding ESG criteria into procurement processes and reinforcing responsible sourcing practices across its global vendor network.
Strengthened organisational alignment and execution, through the inaugural Group ESG Summit, supporting capability building and consistent application of ESG priorities across markets.
These efforts come as data centre operators face growing expectations to deliver capacity while managing energy, water, climate and cybersecurity risks with greater transparency and accountability.

STT GDC’s 2025 ESG Report reflects a continued evolution in how the Group approaches sustainable growth, with a stronger focus on disciplined execution, operational resilience and long-term performance as it scales its global platform. As digital infrastructure becomes increasingly critical to economies and societies, STT GDC will continue to embed sustainability, risk management and governance into how it designs, builds and operates its data centres.

By working closely with customers, partners and communities, the Group aims to deliver infrastructure that is not only efficient and resilient, but also capable of supporting the next phase of digital growth, including AI-driven workloads, in a responsible and sustainable way.

The full 2025 ESG Report is available at https://www.sttelemediagdc.com/about-us/our-esg-progress

About ST Telemedia Global Data Centres
ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) is one of the fastest-growing data centre providers with a global platform serving as a cornerstone of the digital ecosystem that helps the world to connect. Powering a sustainable digital future, STT GDC operates across Singapore, the UK, Germany, Italy, India, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, providing businesses an exceptional foundation that is built for their growth anywhere. For more information, visit https://www.sttelemediagdc.com/

 

Continue Reading

Energy

London Showcase to Bring Venezuela’s Energy Opportunities to Global Investors Ahead of 2026 Summit

Published

13 hours ago

on

July 21, 2026

By

A high-level London industry showcase on July 30 will bring together UK and European investors, financiers and energy leaders to explore emerging opportunities across Venezuela’s oil, gas and power sectors ahead of Venezuela Energy Week 2026

LONDON, United Kingdom, July 17, 2026/APO Group/ –As Venezuela accelerates efforts to revitalize its energy sector and attract international investment, Venezuela Energy Week 2026 will host an exclusive Industry Showcase in London on July 30, bringing together investors, financial institutions, international oil companies, commodity traders and energy executives for market intelligence, networking and partnership development ahead of the flagship conference taking place this October in Caracas.

 

Designed as a strategic preview of the main event, the London showcase will provide UK and European stakeholders with first-hand insight into Venezuela’s evolving investment landscape while creating opportunities for commercial dialogue with industry leaders, potential partners and key decision-makers.

Home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves and significant natural gas resources, Venezuela is entering a new phase of energy development focused on increasing production, expanding gas commercialization and modernizing critical infrastructure. Ongoing reforms and renewed international engagement are creating opportunities for companies able to provide capital, technology and technical expertise.

The timing is particularly significant as several UK and European energy companies continue to strengthen their presence in Venezuela. UK-based majors Shell and BP are advancing key natural gas developments, with Shell preparing for 2027 drilling at the Dragon offshore gas project and BP signing agreements in April to develop the Cocuina-Manakin offshore gas field, marking its return to the Venezuelan market. Spain’s Repsol recently announced plans to increase production from its Venezuelan assets, while Italy’s Eni is relaunching a heavy crude project in the Orinoco Belt. France’s Maurel & Prom, meanwhile, remains a key partner in strategic assets such as the Urdaneta Oeste field. On the trading and commercialization front, Geneva-headquartered energy trader Vitol has renewed its engagement with Venezuelan crude exports, reflecting broader international interest in reconnecting the country’s resources with global markets.

Against this backdrop, the London Industry Showcase will highlight Venezuela’s re-emerging investment potential while creating a platform for strategic networking and direct engagement with government leaders, national energy companies, regulators and private sector partners.

The event is expected to attract representatives from investment funds, export credit agencies, commercial banks, private equity firms, commodity traders, engineering companies, technology providers and UK-based independent energy companies exploring opportunities across Venezuela’s energy value chain.

The showcase will also provide an exclusive preview of Venezuela Energy Week 2026, including ministerial dialogues, executive forums, technical conferences and dedicated business-to-business networking sessions designed to connect international investors with the decision-makers shaping the country’s energy future.

Taking place on October 26–29, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela Energy Week serves as the country’s premier platform for advancing investment across the oil, gas and power sectors. By bringing the conversation to London – one of the world’s leading financial and energy centers – the Industry Showcase builds momentum ahead of the flagship event while strengthening ties between international capital and one of the world’s most resource-rich energy markets.

To participate in the London Industry Showcase on July 30 or secure your place at Venezuela Energy Week 2026 in Caracas this October, contact info@venezuelaenergyweek.com to learn more about delegate, sponsorship and partnership opportunities.

Supporting Venezuela’s Earthquake Recovery

 

Our thoughts are with the people and communities affected by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela. As the country begins the long process of recovery, we encourage members of the global energy community to support relief and reconstruction efforts through the CAF Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for Venezuela, which channels contributions from individuals, companies and organizations to emergency assistance, essential services and long-term rebuilding efforts.

 

To learn more or make a contribution, please visit the CAF Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for Venezuela (https://apo-opa.co/3RKKqfz).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Continue Reading

Trending