Spiro, a leading electric mobility company in Africa, and Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP), a pan-African firm specializing in entrepreneurship development, have launched the Women in E-Mobility programme in Rwanda. The initiative aims to help women become professional electric motorcycle riders, develop their own businesses, and generate sustainable income. The programme is designed to address the underrepresentation of women in the transport sector, where they account for only 4 per cent of workers in Rwanda.
The pilot programme has already begun, with the first 50 women starting training in October 2026. They form the first cohort of a pilot targeting 500 women in Rwanda, with plans to expand to other African markets to reach 5,000 participants by 2030. The programme provides participants with practical motorcycle riding and road safety training, financial literacy, digital skills, and entrepreneurship support. Women will also gain access to affordable financing, including lease-to-own arrangements, enabling them to acquire Spiro electric motorcycles and use its battery-swapping network.
According to a 2025 study in Kigali, 47.7 per cent of women surveyed would consider becoming motorcycle taxi drivers, but women remain largely underrepresented in the sector. The Women in E-Mobility programme aims to encourage more women to pursue careers in electric mobility and contribute to the sector's growth. Spiro and ESP hope to create new economic opportunities for women and help shape the future of mobility on the continent.
Anant Badjatya, Group CEO of Spiro, emphasized the importance of encouraging women to be part of the electric mobility transformation in Africa. He stated that the programme aims to give women the tools to become professional drivers, build their own businesses, and generate income. Eric Kacou, Co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners, highlighted the need for women entrepreneurs to have access to skills, financing, customers, and ongoing support to build successful businesses.
Rwanda was selected as the starting point for the programme due to its growing electric mobility ecosystem and Spiro's established local presence. The initial pilot will help assess participants' progress, income generation, and business performance before the programme is progressively extended to other African countries where Spiro operates between 2027 and 2030.
To support the expansion of the programme, Spiro and ESP are seeking to engage development finance institutions, impact investors, governments, and commercial partners to facilitate access to financing, strengthen training, and expand commercial opportunities. The partners aim to demonstrate how the transition to cleaner transport can also encourage women's entrepreneurship, create jobs, and support economic development across Africa.
The Women in E-Mobility programme combines Spiro's electric mobility infrastructure with ESP's entrepreneurship expertise to create practical and sustainable economic opportunities for women. The programme will connect participants with ride-hailing, delivery, and logistics platforms, helping them secure customers and build sustainable businesses. By providing women with the necessary tools and support, Spiro and ESP hope to empower them to become successful entrepreneurs in the electric mobility sector.
Key points
- The programme aims to support 5,000 women entrepreneurs in electric mobility by 2030.
- The pilot programme has already begun, with the first 50 women starting training in October 2026.
- The programme provides participants with practical motorcycle riding and road safety training, financial literacy, digital skills, and entrepreneurship support.
