Globally, the automotive future is looking increasingly electric, due to growing regulatory moves, including forthcoming bans on sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, shifting consumer behavior, and ongoing improvements in battery and charging technology. By 2035, the world’s major automotive markets – the United States, European Union, and China – are expected to sell only electric vehicles (EVs), and by 2050, 80 percent of the world’s vehicle sales are expected to be electric. EVs are a critical component of achieving climate neutrality and improving quality of life in cities by reducing air and noise pollution. But how will this trend play out in sub-Saharan Africa? And what are the opportunities and challenges associated with the region’s electric transport future?
In a new report, Power to move: Accelerating the electric transport transition in sub-Saharan Africa, we explore the readiness of sub-Saharan Africa to participate in the electric mobility transition.
Transport currently makes up 10 percent of Africa’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is likely to increase in line with sub-Saharan Africa’s expanding vehicle parc – the total stock of vehicles on the road. In the six countries that make up around 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s annual vehicle sales and 45 percent of the region’s population (Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, and Uganda), the vehicle parc is expected to grow from 25 million vehicles today to an estimated 58 million by 2040, driven by urbanization and rising incomes. As its vehicle parc grows, the challenge for sub-Saharan Africa will be to push for more sustainable mobility.
Electric vehicles are a critical component of achieving climate neutrality
Agroecology gains central focus during second Leadership Forum
Over one hundred of Africa’s leading and emerging leaders in agriculture met in a two-day virtual forum last week to discuss issues related to environmental sustainability. The Forum was convened by the Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA), an AGRA-led initiative, and was the second installment of the ongoing CALA Leadership Forum series.
Participants and speakers, drawn from government, private sector and civil society, engaged under the theme: “Collaborative Leadership for Environmental Sustainability and Agroecology in African Agriculture”. The Forum focused on the need for a combination of innovative solutions like agroecology, and the protection of the natural environment through effective soil and water management practices.
ECA launch Africa’s first AI Research
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Government of the Republic of Congo inaugurated a groundbreaking Centre devoted exclusively to advancing research through artificial intelligence to advance digital technology in Africa in areas of digital policy, infrastructure, finance, skills, digital platforms and entrepreneurship.
The African Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence, funded through the ECA and other partners, will provide the necessary technology education and skills to promote Africa’s integration, contributing to generate inclusive economic growth, stimulate job creation, break the digital divide, and eradicate poverty for the continent’s socio-economic development and ensure Africa’s ownership of modern tools of digital management.
The Centre was officially launched by UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the ECA, Vera Songwe, and Anatole Collinet Makossa, Prime Minister of Congo under the auspices of President Denis Sassou Nguesso. The event was attended by African ministers responsible for ICT and the digital economy.
Africa to register mild economic growth in 2022
After being the slowest growing region in 2021, Africa will register mild growth in 2022 (+3.5%) as vaccination rates will remain very low (32% in the overall continent but only 4% in Sub-Saharan Africa) according to the Allianz Economic Outlook report: Don’t Look Up. GDP growth expectations in countries are as follows: Senegal (6.1%), Kenya (5.6%), Ivory Coast (5.5%), Ghana (5.4%), Egypt (4.6%), Mozambique (4.6%), Namibia (3.7%), Morocco (3.3%), Tunisia (3.2%), Gabon (3.2%), Algeria (2.4%), Nigeria (2.3%), Angola (2.2%) and South Africa (2.0%).
In 2022, oil exporters such as Angola and Algeria will continue to benefit from the commodity upcycle tailwind. On the other hand, amid rapidly rising inflation to double digits in most countries, monetary policy rates are expected to increase in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Egypt. In an environment of continued sanitary uncertainty, this monetary tightening is expected to put a brake on growth.
In addition to rising energy prices, food inflation has soared to hardly bearable levels in Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana. The food security situation is likely to deteriorate in 2022 in southern and eastern Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia as a result of adverse climate events. The deteriorating security situation in Ethiopia entails significant risk of spillovers to the region, including migration flows to the Kenyan border. Tunisia, Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya and South Africa are hot spots regarding debt sustainability. Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Burkina Faso will see current account deficits only improve slightly in 2022 after deteriorating in 2021.
