Turning Points: Enabling Sustainable Transport in Africa

This publication presents “turning points” – critical moments, decisions and events that could significantly influence the progress of Africa’s transport systems towards a more sustainable trajectory within this decade. The central insight: incremental progress, fragmented pilots and isolated projects will not deliver the scale of change required. Rather, effective strategic interventions will need to be implemented simultaneously at different political levels in order to enable coordinated adoption of sustainable transport at the continental scale. 

The report’s recommendations were developed in a two-step process: First, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the think tank Agora Verkehrswende together with researchers from the University of Cape Coast (Ghana) and the University of Cape Town (South Africa) examined policy debates, current evidence and emerging practice across African countries. Second, the initial conclusions were then discussed in depth and refined together with around 50 African decision-makers, experts, researchers, private regional organisations. 

This process yielded twelve areas for strategic intervention – these “turning points” for sustainable transport in Africa represent opportunities to shape a transport future in which electric mobility supports green industrialisation, freight corridors move goods more efficiently, cities offer safer and more inclusive mobility, and infrastructure is planned for resilience and long-term value. They represent an invitation to governments, cities, businesses, development partners and civil society to work together towards the realization of a shared vision for sustainable transport. Some turning points are already in motion; the potential offered by others has yet to be tapped. The twelve turning points are structured around four priorities:

(1) Leadership and Policy Reform focusing on transport planning; (2) Strategic Foundations for Africa’s Energy Transition in Transport, focusing on electric mobility; (3) Sustainable and Inclusive Investment Systems, focusing on funding sustainable transport; and (4) Flagship Initiatives for Scaling and Acceleration, focusing on implementation support.

These turning points show that this transformation is a practical agenda that can be advanced through coordinated policy, financing, institutional collaboration and partnerships. The report sets out where these shifts can begin, how they can be accelerated, and why acting on them now can help make Africa’s transport systems efficient, just and climate neutral for decades to come.

The twelve turning points are:

• Making Sustainable Transport a National Priority
  Sustainable transport gains momentum when political leaders champion it as a national development priority. Ministers, governors and mayors can turn policy into visible change through flagship reforms and pioneer projects.
• Strengthening and Integrating Green Economic Corridor Networks
  Africa’s trade and logistics corridors can become testbeds for cleaner, more efficient transport. Digital trade systems, cleaner vehicles, interoperable data and coordinated border management can first be piloted, then scaled across regions.
• Developing Action Plans for Popular Transport at All Levels
  Popular transport needs clear, practical roadmaps that work across national, regional and local levels of government. These plans can define roles, standards of service, safety measures, financing pathways and inclusive implementation steps.
• Adopting an African Charter on Electric Mobility
  Africa’s shift to electric mobility begins with a shared continental vision. With the African Union’s Continental Framework for E-Mobility now adopted, a foundation is in place to accelerate implementation across the continent.
• Establishing an Independent Advisory Board for E-Mobility Policy and Trade
  A continental advisory board can turn broad ambition into practical guidance. By bringing together experts from trade, industry, government, research and civil society, it can help align standards, investment and regional value-chain development.
• Developing a Continental Masterplan on Renewable Energy for E-Mobility
  Africa’s renewable energy potential can become a powerful driver of transport electrification. A continental masterplan would connect clean power development with charging infrastructure, grid upgrades and priority investments.
• Pooling Funding Regionally for Climate-Resilient Transport Infrastructure
  Regional funding pools can help countries invest at greater scale and over longer time horizons. With strong African ownership and predictable capital flows, they can prioritize resilient cross-border corridors and shared infrastructure.
• Securing Long-Term Financing for Sustainable Transport
  Sustainable transport requires stable funding beyond the time horizons of individual projects. Protected or earmarked budget lines can help governments maintain assets, improve resilience and align transport investment with development goals.
• Scaling Domestic Financing for Electric Mobility
  Domestic financing can move electric mobility from pilot projects to the mass market scale. Coordinated credit systems can support households, operators, municipalities, businesses, charging infrastructure and renewable power supply at the same time.
• Establishing an African Academy for Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans
  Cities need lasting capacity to plan and deliver sustainable mobility. An African Academy can provide training, peer learning, and data-driven tools while building a stronger community of practice across municipalities.
• Creating Investment and Innovation Hubs
  Investment and innovation hubs can connect industrial policy, skills development, research and capital. By linking Special Economic Zones with Centres of Excellence, they can strengthen regional value chains and create skilled jobs.
• Founding Regional Project Preparation Platforms
  Many promising sustainable transport initiatives fail because they are not yet investment ready. Regional project preparation platforms can help governments and cities turn early concepts into bankable, climate-resilient and 
  implementable projects.