Africa Going Green: Bolt Plans to Launch Electric Taxi Services in South Africa

Bolt, an Estonian on-demand transportation company, is planning to launch electric taxi services in South Africa four months after launching e-bike food delivery services.

Bolt’s idea follows its move towards environmentally-friendly transportation and the launch of its green category which allows passengers to request an electric or hybrid car.

“We are looking to roll out a green taxi category in South Africa in the next few months, and plan to roll out green categories in other African markets,” said Bolt’s regional director for Africa and Middle East, Paddy Partridge.

Bolt is increasing tapping the continent’s potential for green transportation, and not only in South Africa. The ride-hailing company already provides a green option in  Kenya, where it also runs an e-bike food delivery service. Bolt plans to introduce e-mobility food delivery alternatives in its other East African markets, such as Uganda and Tanzania.

The tech firm, which has operations in 45 countries, including seven in Africa, was founded in 2013 by Markus Villig and offers a variety of services such as ride-hailing, car, scooter, and bike rentals, food delivery, and most recently grocery delivery, branding itself as a transportation and deliveries company.

“In East Africa, we see a lot of potential on the motorbike side, and especially for delivery. We plan to invest more in this direction as it also serves to eliminate the challenges associated with constantly fluctuating fuel prices, currently the most significant operating cost for our couriers,” said Partridge.

According to a UNEP study, the opportunities for electric transportation are vast, but the majority of nations lack the infrastructure to facilitate their adoption.

In many African nations, the adoption of electric mobility solutions is hampered by a lack of charging infrastructure, poor grid power access, and relatively costly e-vehicles.

The  SSA Nature in its Nature Sustainability report suggests that switching to electric power would provide countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with a number of benefits, including more affordable transportation and a reduction in emissions.