In a landmark initiative, South Africa is poised to introduce its first fleet of electric commuter buses in Tshwane and eThekwini municipalities by the close of 2025. The pilot project, financially backed by the Global Environmental Facility and overseen by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), aims to revolutionize the nation’s public transportation system.
Managed by SANEDI, the implementing agent appointed by DBSA, the project is set to deploy 39 electric buses and the necessary charging infrastructure. The USD 4.7 million in funding secured from the Global Environmental Facility will be instrumental in steering this groundbreaking endeavor.
Tebogo Snyer, project manager for SANEDI’s cleaner mobility program, expresses the project’s overarching goal, stating, “Our objective with this project is to pave the way for the country to shift to electric mobility in the near future.”
Initiated by DBSA in 2018 and subsequently delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the project regained momentum in 2022, with funding secured by late 2023. The City of Tshwane and eThekwini will be allocated 20 and 19 buses, respectively, with simultaneous upgrades to electricity infrastructure and the installation of charging facilities in both cities.
The comprehensive project, spanning five years, will see the commissioning of half the buses in the initial two years, providing a platform to assess technical, operational, legal, and economic feasibility factors. Snyer notes, “During this time, we will demonstrate the specifications of the ecosystem needed to support electric buses in South Africa.”
Anticipated to hit the roads within the next 18 to 24 months, the project involves infrastructure development, stakeholder consultations, and extensive training for drivers on the operation and management of electric buses.
While local procurement is prioritized, the buses will be imported due to the absence of local manufacturing capacity. Snyer highlights the global dominance of electric vehicle technology, projecting its transformative impact on the transport sector within the next three to five years.
Despite concerns about the electric-vehicle load on the national grid, Snyer assures that smart project planning and off-peak charging can manage the impact. The project also includes technical grid-impact analyses, aiming to prepare South Africa for a future with cleaner, more sustainable public transport
