Smarter Mobility Africa Summit Is Coming of Age, & So Is How We’re Moving People & Goods in Africa

It’s taken a lot of hard work and time, combined with the challenges of a global pandemic, but finally the conference and exhibition I launched into South Africa in 2019 is coming of age, and so to is how we’re moving people and goods in Africa. Let me tell you more... ?

How We Move People and Goods Started Slowly

When I visited South Africa for the first time in 2018, it was to pitch the event Smarter Mobility Africa . The response was positive, from all levels of the market. National & Provincial Government, City Leaders, and Businesses were signalling strong interest in pressing the accelerator for electrifying transport and embracing the technology innovations that are making cars more accessible, affordable, safer, and cleaner. Our focus back then was mainly on CASE -Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric-?That has since evolved and our focus is now on the wider mobility ecosystem, from 2 wheels and 2 feet to busses and rail.

However, despite the strong signals we received in 2018 and the hard work from entrepreneurs, businesses, government, and NGOs, the market evolved a lot slower than I had first thought it would. Add in a global pandemic and the environment my team and I found ourselves in was challenging and wildly uncertain.??

When the Music Changes, So Does the Dance

As we all know, the global pandemic completely changed how we move both people and goods. New office worker habits, the rise of delivery companies, a rethink of the role public transport infrastructure, increased use of 2 feet and 2 wheels, and the shift of awareness and focus on public health and our ability to reduce our impact on the environment.?

As with all change, it creates a huge number of challenges and opportunities. For those willing to adapt and embrace the change, it presents opportunities. As the old African Proverb goes... "When the music changes, so does the dance".

And that’s exactly what my team and I have been doing in the last 3 years with Smarter Mobility Africa as we navigated the biggest shake up in transport since the arrival of the automobile. We’ve been continuously testing and pivoting in this new world that we found ourselves in. Last year in 2023, we felt we had finally arrived back on the success trajectory we began in October 2019 when we launched the first SMA summit.??

We were relieved and overjoyed that things were back on track, and our pivoting and willingness to be agile was paying off. Some of the highlights from last year included:?

• 1350+ attendees travelled to Johannesburg to enjoy the 5th edition of SMA summit.
• Key provincial and national government dignitaries joined SMA summit, including the Honourable Paul Mashatile, Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, Hon. Minister of Transport of the Republic of South Africa,?Mr Panyaza Lesufi MPL, Premier of Gauteng, and Ms Kedibone Diale-Tlabela MPL Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics.
• Vusi Thembekwayo delivered a keynote and met with over 38 mobility startups who pitched and showcased their solutions.
• 29 sponsors & exhibitors showcased their ideas, solutions, case studies, visions for an integrated smarter mobility system.?
• Uber celebrated 10 years in Africa at SMA summit.
• Women in Mobility, led by Naz Fredericks- Maharaj & Anazi Zote Piper launched with a networking breakfast hosting over 100 women, with 100 more on a waiting list.??
• UITP, the Global Public Transport Association participated.
• We launched Site Visits to uBumbano OpCo ’s Gibela Rail Transport Consortium Rail Factory and 福特 's Automotive Factory.

Miles Ahead for the 6th SMA Summit

This year, as we near the 3-month countdown to Africa’s No. 1 smarter mobility event - Smarter Mobility Africa summit - we are at a ‘coming of age’ position. Our sales are up across the board - sponsorship, exhibition, and delegate tickets sold are up 600% compared to this time last year, we have a much deeper pipeline of companies who are keen to launch and showcase their mobility solutions at SMA summit to scale across Africa. Our LinkedIn followers have shot up over 100% (you can be one of them Smarter Mobility Africa LinkedIn Page!).

We’ve launched new products and services into our Smarter Mobility Africa ecosystem. These include the New Mobility Investment Project which is matching global and African funding with smarter mobility projects in Africa, the new MOBILITY HUB which does what it says on the tin - its a digital hub for African mobility News & Insights, Investment Projects, Events & Webinars, Sub-sector discussion groups, and a supplier directory.

It's About How YOU Are Moving People and Goods in Africa

However, the advancements of Smarter Mobility Africa are not just down to the hard work and persistence of my team. No, whilst this is an unquestionable part of our recent success, it’s the mobility industry that has entered a new era. This mobility industry is embracing the New Urban Era and it’s an incredibly exciting time to be working in the space of movement. How we move people and goods is the enabler for almost all of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), it’s fundamental to the African Union’s AGENDA 2063 vision, and visions across cities and countries in Africa.??

Below I've highlighted just a handful of developments from our clients over the last few years, but I'd love you to share in the comments below any projects, businesses, and people of note that have been advancing the needle of movement in Africa over the last few years. Let's give them a shout out for their hard work and creativity.

1. Spiro expands to Kenya, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Ghana with 15,000 electric motorcycles. ??
2. PRASA upgrades the metro-rail trains across South Africa through their contract with uBumbano and Alstom owned Gibela
3. Uber celebrates 10 years of making mobility smarter in Africa
4. Everlectric continues to grow to be an electric vehicle fleet service provider to the likes of Woolworths and FedEx
5. Mobility for Africa raise $2m to deploy electric vehicles in rural Zimbabwe

These are literally just a handful of success stories from the last few years. I've not even begun to talk about the amazing policy and regulation advancements at city, provincial, national, and continent level.

Please add any success stories that you're aware of in the comments section below.

This Train Ride Keeps Getting Better and Better

The train I boarded in 2018 has certainly evolved since then. What was once an old diesel train from the 1980s now feels like a brand new electric blue train manufactured by Gibela. But not only has our actual train changed; the tracks we ride, the passengers we welcome, and the stations we arrive at and depart from have transformed in such a positive way. These changes have laid strong foundations for us all to continue improving how we move people and goods, embracing the New Urban Era in Africa.

Ben Pullen is the Group Director of Mobility at VUKA Group . Smarter Mobility Africa is a year round platform combined with an annual summit in Johannesburg for improving how we move people and goods to embrace the New Urban Era in Africa.

Smarter Mobility Africa summit takes place 2-4 October 2024 at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. If you would like to join Smarter Mobility Africa complete our request for information form and one of our team will be in touch to walk you through how --> Smarter Mobility Africa.