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Logistics

Autel Energy advances Cape Town bus project

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MaxiCharger DC Fast units installed by Autel Energy at Cape Town’s Arrowgate Depot, forming the backbone of South Africa’s largest EV bus charging hub with capacity to expand to 50 chargers and 120 buses by 2025. (Image source: Autel Energy)

Autel Energy is ramping up plans for the electrification of Cape Town’s bus fleet with the deployment of its advanced MaxiCharger DC Fast (150–240 kW) technology

A leader in smart and sustainable electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, the company is powering South Africa’s largest public EV bus charging hub — also among the most significant in Africa — enabling the rollout of 120 electric buses by December 2025.

The project, delivered in partnership with STS Tech Group, is centred at Cape Town’s Arrowgate depot, which operates on a solar–grid hybrid system.

This integration highlights Autel Energy’s capability to deliver charging infrastructure that is both renewable-ready and future-proof, ensuring maximum uptime, high efficiency, and long-term sustainability, the company reported in a statement.

“This project in Cape Town is a milestone not only for Africa but for the global transition to clean mobility,” said Kemin Zuo, regional director of Autel IMEA DMCC.

Currently, the Arrowgate depot operates with 30 MaxiCharger DC Fast units, with capacity expanding to 50 units by year-end.

These chargers support the city’s 68 BYD B12 electric buses already in operation — each carrying 65 passengers with a range of up to 240 km per charge — and will scale to serve 120 buses by the end of 2025.

This transition will eliminate an estimated 18,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to removing more than 4,000 cars from the city’s roads.

The landmark project also supports Cape Town’s clean mobility ambitions and South Africa’s broader sustainability goals, providing citizens with cleaner air, quieter transport, and reliable daily mobility.

With over 1 million chargers shipped in over 70 countries, Autel Energy’s DC charging solutions span from 50 kW DC fast chargers to 1.44 megawatt-level ultra-fast systems, serving residential, commercial, fleet and heavy-duty transport applications.

“At Autel Energy, our mission is to accelerate EV adoption by delivering charging solutions that are intelligent, scalable, and renewable-ready,” said Zuo.

“By enabling seamless integration with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind across our entire charging portfolio, we demonstrate how cities can build future-proof infrastructure that reduces emissions while ensuring reliable public transport.”

Zuo added: “Africa is a strategic region for e-mobility growth, and we are proud to play a central role in shaping its sustainable transport future.”

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DP World opens Rwanda logistics hub

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The new community bridge in Rwanda (Image source: Adobe Stock)

DP World has expanded its footprint in Rwanda with the inauguration of the Rubavu Logistics Hub in partnership with Rwanda's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM)

The opening of the new hub coincided with the unveiling of a community bridge in Kabeza, a partnership with Bridges to Prosperity.

The milestones strengthen Rwanda's trade corridors and connect thousands of people to opportunities, showing how strategic infrastructure can drive economic growth, a DP World statement read.

The Rubavu Logistics Hub will act as a key trade corridor between Rwanda and neighbouring countries, it noted.

The facility features a 5,000 sqm bonded warehouse, advanced cold storage, modern office spaces and state-of-the-art cargo handling equipment.

In its first year, the hub is expected to handle 50,000 tonnes of cargo, with future capacity of up to 120,000 tonnes annually, significantly boosting Rwanda's GDP and creating valuable employment opportunities.

“The Rubavu Logistics Hub will serve as a critical artery of regional trade, helping better connect local businesses to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and global trade ecosystems,” said Mark Rylance, chief operating officer logistics sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), DP World.

“The project builds on our work in Rwanda to drive socio-economic change by creating opportunities and supporting the communities in which we operate.”

The Kigali Dry Port near the capital, acts as Rwanda’s central logistics hub, connecting imports and exports to regional and global trade networks.

Rubavu Logistics Hub — on Rwanda’s western border with the DRC — is strategically placed to handle cross-border trade with the DRC, one of Rwanda’s largest trading partners.

Together, they form a national logistics corridor, the DP World statement added.

At the same event, DP World and Bridges to Prosperity unveiled a 50-metre suspended trail bridge, built with support from nine DP World volunteers and redundant steel cables repurposed from DP World operations.

The company said the bridge will help transform over 4,600 lives by providing year-round safe access to schools, healthcare, and markets.

Shushant Mallik, managing director, Rwanda, DP World said the partnership demonstrates DP World's commitment to both economic growth and empowering communities in Rwanda.

“With the Kigali Dry Port at the centre and the new Rubavu Hub on Rwanda’s western frontier, DP World is building a logistics ecosystem that connects local businesses to regional and global markets,” said Mallik.

“Our investment in logistics and infrastructure is delivering solutions that create growth and supports sustainable development. This dual milestone shows the two can go hand in hand”.

Opened in 2019, DP World built and operates the Kigali Dry Port, East Africa’s first end-to-end logistics hub, which connects Rwandan importers and exporters with the Indian Ocean, some 1,500 km away.

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Transforming Africa’s transport through electric collaboration

OX Delivers and Wahu Mobility join forces to scale electric mobility, empower communities, and drive sustainable transport. (Image source: Wahu Mobility)

OX Delivers, the pioneering UK-based electric vehicle start-up, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Wahu Mobility, Ghana’s leading manufacturer of durable and connected electric bikes, to explore opportunities for advancing electric mobility solutions that drive business growth, create jobs, and generate a positive sustainable impact in Ghana

Both companies share a mission to transform Africa’s fragmented and unreliable transport system, which is currently dominated by expensive, polluting vehicles. By combining OX Delivers’ purpose-built electric trucks with Wahu Mobility’s electric bikes—the first of their kind in Ghana—the partnership aims to encourage businesses and communities to switch from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric alternatives.

By leveraging their complementary strengths, the collaboration provides a strong platform to deepen market insights across Africa, expand product offerings, and unlock new avenues for funding and sustainable growth.

Valerie Labi, co-founder & CEO of Wahu, commented, “We’re delighted to partner with OX Delivers to advance clean, accessible transport solutions across West Africa. Their deep experience in transport-as-a-service, particularly in Rwanda, offers invaluable insight that will help shape future local initiatives to empower both businesses and communities in the future. We’re keen to see how OX Delivers can offer us a route to opening up new revenue streams, for example using EVs in agriculture.”

OX Delivers is breaking down trade barriers and driving economic transformation in the Global South with its complete transport and trade solution. Supported by purpose-built technology, the ecosystem provides entrepreneurs with end-to-end infrastructure to trade reliably and prosper. Using the service, customers can transport goods faster, safer, and more efficiently, significantly increasing financial returns. Previously, transporting goods to market took days via bus, bicycle, or on foot. Today, customers can book space on the truck and have their goods delivered in just a few hours, boosting productivity and sales.

Since launching its pilot operation in Rwanda in 2021, OX has supported more than 5,000 customers, many of them smallholder farmers and traders, with 80% of orders coming from repeat clients.

Wahu Mobility brings scalable manufacturing capacity and a base of connected electric bikes tailored for Africa’s unique road and economic conditions. Its flagship product, the Wahu e-bike, is locally designed and produced. To ensure financial accessibility for last-mile delivery riders, the company offers a flexible "ride-to-own" payment model, empowering gig workers to become resilient mobility entrepreneurs.

Through this MOU, OX Delivers and Wahu Mobility will continue scaling their businesses across Africa, targeting the US$280bn goods transport industry and three billion people in the Global South without access to affordable, sustainable transport.

TNPA advances Newark Road upgrade project

TNPA reports 75% completion of US$20m Newark Road upgrade at Richards Bay port, boosting cargo flow and logistics efficiency

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has announced significant progress in the upgrade of Newark Road, a vital access route to the Port of Richards Bay, with 75% of the work now completed

The project, valued at around R20 million (approx. US$1.08mn), is expected to be finalised by December 2025. It forms part of TNPA’s broader programme to modernise port infrastructure, improve safety, and enhance cargo flow efficiency for port stakeholders.

Since the commencement of construction in May 2025, approximately one kilometre of Newark Road has already been upgraded. To ensure safety during the works, the road has been closed, supported by a traffic management plan that directs vehicles through alternative access routes.

With an estimated monthly traffic volume of 67,289 light vehicles and 35,000 heavy vehicles, the route is critical to smooth port logistics and uninterrupted cargo handling.

“This strategic investment will ensure that the Port of Richards Bay continues to operate as a world-class logistics hub. We will continue to engage with port users on these project developments to ensure smooth transition both now and when the road upgrades are completed this festive season,” said Port Manager, captain Dennis Mqadi.

During the construction phase, the Bayvue port entrance will remain closed. Light motor vehicles are being diverted to enter via Urania Road near the Pioneer Centre and exit through the San Thom Road Gate. Heavy vehicles are directed to access the port through West Gate on Urania Road, move to terminals via Clinker Road, and leave through East Gate on Newark Road.

TNPA oversees the national port system in its landlord capacity, ensuring its safe, effective, and efficient economic functioning. It provides infrastructure and marine services across South Africa’s eight commercial seaports: Richards Bay, Durban, Saldanha, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Mossel Bay, and Ngqura.

Northern Cape industrial EV adoption project

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Putting EVs to work on the project site. (Image Source: Scatec)

Renewable energy firm Scatec has announced progress in its South African electric vehicle (EV) pilot project in the Northern Cape, demonstrating the use of EVs in remote, industrial settings

In partnership with local EV-as-a-Service company, Everlectric, the initiative is a component of Scatec’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions.

“Scatec is committed to achieving net-zero emissions across all our global operations by 2040,” said Sean McGibbon, supply chain manager at Scatec.

He said the EV pilot project forms part of a series of net-zero initiatives implemented by the company to reduce emissions across its own operations and supply chain.

“This pilot, running in Kenhardt and Upington, is a key step towards that goal,”he said.

“We're not only proving that electric mobility can work in challenging conditions, but we're also gaining valuable local insights that will help us build more viable and cost-effective solutions than fossil fuel alternatives.”

The project also aligns with a growing global trend where industrial sectors are embracing electric mobility.

This shift is being driven by a combination of factors, including the need to meet national climate goals, the desire for energy independence, and the increasing availability of affordable, robust EV models.

In South Africa, government policies like the EV White Paper and its associated tax incentives are further accelerating this transition by promoting local EV infrastructure development.

Scatec’s pilot, which uses two EV pick-ups and one panel van, has already demonstrated that with clever scheduling and charging stations, EVs can be seamlessly integrated into day-to-day operations with minimal disruption.

“Our tests have shown that an electric vehicle can be used in our day-to-day operations with limited changes to our daily behaviour," said McGibbon.

“What excites us is the positive change this brings to our planet. Our ambition is to roll out pilots in all our core markets by the end of 2027, with a target of full electrification of our operational fleets by 2030, where it is practical and possible.”

Everlectric, Scatec's partner in the project, provides an innovative ‘EV-as-a-Service’ model that removes common barriers to EV adoption, such as high upfront costs and infrastructure uncertainty.

This model offers full-maintenance leasing, charging infrastructure and smart fleet management in a single package.

“This new electric vehicle rollout represents a powerful convergence of clean energy and sustainable mobility in two traditionally high-emission and hard-to-decarbonise sectors — energy generation and transportation,” said Ndia Magadagela, CEO of Everlectric.

“This project will allow us to close the loop on clean energy by ensuring that both your energy generation and consumption are 100% renewable and emission-free.”

Operating in remote South African locations, Everlectric has tailored its approach to meet the unique challenges of the terrain.

“We prioritise robust panel vans and commercial EVs with higher ground clearance and reinforced suspension,” added Magadagela.

“In areas with limited grid access, we deploy solar-assisted charging stations and work with partners like Scatec to maximise the opportunity to utilise off-grid solutions.”

Both companies believe the success of the pilot project demonstrates that electric mobility is not an impossible task, even in a small Northern Cape town.

“Through our ongoing collaboration with Scatec, we have found that fit-for-purpose electric vehicles are exceptionally well aligned with the demands of these operations,” said Magadagela.

“Electric vehicles continue to demonstrate their reliability and energy efficiency, proving to be a strong and sustainable alternative to combustion-powered vehicles.”

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