Electric tricycles powered by solar-charged lithium-ion batteries are reshaping rural economies across Africa, turning everyday transport into a commercial engine for thousands of women entrepreneurs.
In Zimbabwe, farmers like Agefi Mutambo now haul 300 kilograms of produce per trip and earn up to $80 weekly, a stark upgrade from the $6 she once made walking seven kilometres with a single bucket of tomatoes.
The low-cost lease-to-own model from Mobility for Africa, which introduced the "Hamba" tricycle in 2019, has spread beyond Zimbabwe to Kenya, where electric three-wheeler registrations surged from 39 in 2023 to 1,965 by mid-2026, offering a viable, income-generating alternative to petrol-powered vehicles.