Joining knowledge forces for sustainable transport policies in Africa

This report Joining knowledge forces for sustainable transport policies in Africa provides insights on the landscape of organisations working in the field of sustainable transport policy in Africa. Based on a survey conducted in the spring of 2025, we analysed responses from 32  organisations from 17 countries across Africa. These organisations play a key role as knowledge intermediaries in supporting policy development, capacity building, promoting awareness and creating ownership in the transformation to climate-neutral and more accessible transport systems.

Today, African countries have some of the world’s lowest motorisation rates, averaging only 43 vehicles per 1 000 people. However, by 2050, the continent is projected to host a growing middle-income class three times larger than that of today, the world’s youngest population with a median age of 19 and one quarter of the global population. Africa’s mobility needs will increase with economic growth, and motorisation is predicted to rise as well. While this trend may be unavoidable, decoupling motorisation from rising CO2 emissions and resulting climate impacts is essential to secure sustainable socio-economic development. In this context, African countries can leapfrog directly to zero-emission mobility, led by the electrification of public transport including motorbikes, buses and later by private vehicles, while also improving public transport services and expanding infrastructure for shared and active modes of transport. This enormous challenge calls for a new approach: it requires immense investment, yet fiscal resources are limited, and funding through international cooperation is on the decline. To bridge this gap, African countries can create favourable conditions for attracting investment in sustainable transport by ensuring long-term policy planning and viable financing conditions. Organisations engaged in sustainable transport policy research, such as think tanks, NGOs and academic centres of excellence, play a crucial role in supporting decision-makers with evidence-based policy recommendations to create these conditions.

The landscape of organisations working in sustainable transport policy in Africa is new and expanding, with most organisations established less than 20 years ago. There is more attention given to the mobility transition in transport (access to shared and active modes of transport) than on the energy transition (electrification and decarbonised energy supply). Organisations address mobility across different modes, often integrating walking and cycling as first and last-mile solutions for popular and formal public transport. Most organisations direct their work towards government actors and policymakers as their primary beneficiaries and target group. These efforts are largely sustained through support from international cooperation actors, which provide both funding and strategic collaboration. The most significant challenge organisations face is financial stability, which limits their ability to make long-term plans, retain staff and expand their activities.

Closely tied to this is the challenge to establish and sustain meaningful cooperation partnerships, which are important for improving access to both technical and financial support. Organisations across the board highlight the importance of these. At the same time, more can be done to promote cooperation and knowledge exchange between organisations in different African countries. In this first edition, discourse on the need for an African community of organisations for sustainable transport through policy is one step closer to this goal.