Harare is set to play a central role in one of Africa’s most ambitious clean transport initiatives as the city prepares to host a major stop on the Road to Africa electric vehicle expedition, a continent-wide effort aimed at demonstrating the viability of electrified trade and transport corridors across Africa.
The Harare leg forms part of the wider Road to Lusaka, Harare and Beira expedition, a 4,730-kilometre cross-border journey that will take a convoy of electric vehicles from Kigali in Rwanda through Tanzania and Zambia before arriving in Zimbabwe and continuing to Beira in Mozambique.
More than a symbolic road trip, the expedition has been designed as a mobile research and demonstration platform that seeks to generate real world evidence on the opportunities and challenges facing electric mobility across African trade routes. Organisers say the initiative will document charging infrastructure, border procedures, logistics systems, road conditions, grid reliability and broader transport realities along some of the continent’s most important economic corridors.
The project comes at a time when Africa is seeking to accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to deepen regional integration and boost intra-African trade. While transport corridors are expected to serve as the backbone of this integration agenda, most long distance freight and passenger transport across the continent remains heavily dependent on diesel powered vehicles.
Road to Africa seeks to test whether electric mobility can become a practical and scalable alternative for cross-border transport while helping governments, utilities, investors and transport operators better understand the infrastructure and policy requirements needed to support the transition.
For Zimbabwe, the expedition presents an opportunity to position itself as a strategic player in Africa’s emerging electric mobility ecosystem. Situated at the crossroads of major Southern African trade routes, Harare serves as a critical link between East, Central and Southern Africa, making it an ideal location to assess the readiness of regional transport corridors for electrification.
Organisers have identified the Zimbabwean capital as one of the most important stops on the route because of its role in facilitating the movement of goods and people between neighbouring countries. Data collected during the Harare leg is expected to contribute to broader efforts to evaluate the potential for electrified transport corridors connecting key economic hubs across the region.
A significant feature of the expedition is the use of Chinese manufactured electric vehicles, highlighting China’s growing influence in the global electric vehicle sector and its expanding role in Africa’s transport and infrastructure development.
As part of preparations for the Zimbabwean stopover, organisers have approached the Chinese Embassy in Harare seeking support for the initiative. The proposal outlines opportunities for cooperation between Zimbabwean stakeholders, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers and government institutions involved in energy, transport and infrastructure development.
According to the proposal, organisers are seeking embassy participation through activities such as a flag off ceremony, public engagement events or stakeholder discussions involving government agencies, energy regulators, electricity providers and private sector players within Zimbabwe’s growing electric vehicle sector.
The Harare stop is also expected to provide a platform for discussions on charging infrastructure, energy reliability and the policy frameworks required to support wider adoption of electric vehicles across Southern Africa.
The expedition aligns with broader continental goals around green industrialisation, climate resilience and sustainable development. Organisers argue that practical demonstrations are essential to moving beyond policy discussions and proving that electric transport can operate effectively across Africa’s diverse geographical and infrastructural environments.
By documenting conditions on the ground, Road to Africa aims to generate evidence that can inform future investments, support policy harmonisation and encourage collaboration between governments, utilities, financiers and technology providers.
The initiative builds on the success of Road to Addis, which organisers describe as the first fully electric cross-border convoy between Nairobi and Addis Ababa. That journey demonstrated the feasibility of long distance electric mobility in East Africa and laid the foundation for a broader continental programme.
Looking ahead, Road to Africa has set an ambitious target of helping map and support more than 15,000 kilometres of electrified trade routes by 2030. Organisers envision a future in which Africa’s major highways become low carbon transport corridors capable of supporting economic integration, reducing emissions and strengthening regional connectivity.
For Zimbabwe, participation in the project offers more than visibility. It presents an opportunity to showcase its strategic location within the continent’s transport network while contributing to conversations that could shape the future of trade, logistics and sustainable mobility across Africa.
