Johannesburg, 30 April 2026 Transport and Energy Ministers from across Africa today endorsed the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility (PAAPAM) and a Continental Framework on Electric Mobility at the 5th Ordinary Session of the African Unions Specialized Technical Committee on Transport and Energy (STC-T&E). The two frameworks aim to tackle the continents rising transport-related road deaths, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by scaling investment in walking, cycling and electric vehicles.
The dual endorsements, made within the first year of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (20262035), position Africa to address climate, health, accessibility and safety challenges while unlocking economic opportunities through an integrated approach spanning both active and electric mobility. Together, the frameworks form a roadmap to mobilize investment, strengthen policy commitments, and accelerate national action on sustainable transport across Africa.
Todays endorsement sends a clear signal that African governments recognise the urgency of shifting to electric mobility while at the same time investing in the safety and wellbeing of the billion people who walk and cycle every day. These two continental frameworks provide the strategic direction that will drive coordinated policy action and unlock the resources the continent needs to industrialize and build safer, cleaner, and more inclusive transport systems, said Lerato D. Martaboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy.
The Continental Framework on Electric Mobility in Africa is a policy framework developed by the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). It sets out strategic directions for AU member states to accelerate the shift from fossil fuel-dependent transport to electric vehicles, build local manufacturing capacity, and harness the continent's vast renewable energy potential.
The case for change is compelling: Africas transport sector accounts for 31% of CO2 emissions and more than 70% of refined fuel demand in Africa is still met through imports.
Electric mobility is already gaining momentum across Africa. Approximately 132,000 electric vehicles are in operation, with Ethiopia leading the way, and about half of African countries are engaged in assembling or manufacturing EVs and charging equipment. Some 31 African countries now mention electric mobility in their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
Coordinated by AUC, UNEP, UN-Habitat, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO), and UNECA, the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility is the first framework of its kind to unite African nations around a shared commitment to prioritize and invest in walking and cycling, the most widely used modes of transport across the continent. It recognizes the central role of active mobility in building just, resilient and inclusive communities, while ensuring a safer, cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environment.
The stakes are high: more than a billion people in Africa walk or cycle for nearly an hour every day to reach work, school, markets, and health services. Yet road and street infrastructure across the continent often fail to meet recommended safety standards, and investments in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure remain far below what is needed. The consequences are stark. Africa accounts for 24% of global road traffic fatalities despite having only 3% of the world's vehicle fleet, with pedestrians and cyclists making up more than a third of those killed.
Walking, cycling and electric vehicles are among the most effective, affordable, and practical solutions we have for tackling the climate crisis, improving public health and building more livable cities. These endorsements mean African governments have a blueprint to accelerate investments that deliver benefits across sectors from cleaner air and lower emissions to economic savings, stronger communities and energy independence, said Elizabeth Mrema, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP.
African Nations are already leading the way
Todays decisions build on a wave of policy commitments already underway across the continent for both active and electric mobility.
Ethiopia adopted its Non-Motorised Transport Strategy (20202029). Addis Ababa has since constructed more than 60 km of walkways and protected cycle tracks, with plans to expand to over 76 km of cycle tracks and 200 km of walkways. Steps have also been made in Uganda, where a new road design manual was released last year, and in Egypt, with the launch of its Active Mobility Strategy Framework (20252034).
On the electric mobility front, Rwanda has introduced comprehensive fiscal incentives for EVs, including zero-rated VAT, duty exemptions, and a carbon tax on polluting vehicles. At the same time, Kigali has banned new registrations of combustion-engine passenger motorcycles.
In Dakar, Senegal, the first fully e-bus rapid transit system is operational, deploying more than 140 electric articulated buses over an 18-kilometre corridor. Kenya, which launched its National Electric Mobility Policy in early 2026, already has more than 24,000 e-motorcycles on its roads the fruit of earlier pilot projects most of them operating as taxis.
These policy shifts developed through extensive consultation and collaboration demonstrate the institutional momentum that todays continental endorsements are designed to accelerate.
