SHANGHAI, Sept. 3 (Xinhua Silk Road) -- Chinese companies have stepped up their expansion into Africa's electric motorcycle market since the start of 2026, moving beyond exports of vehicles and batteries to building battery-swapping networks, promoting local manufacturing and forging investment partnerships.
Earlier this year, Yadea, a leading Chinese manufacturer of electric two-wheelers, unveiled the KIFA, a commercial electric motorcycle designed for the Kenyan market, extending its East African footprint beyond Ethiopia. In June, NewTrails Capital, a Chinese investment fund, invested 55 million U.S. dollars in Spiro, an electric mobility company operating in several African countries.
This dual inflow of products and capital signals that Chinese firms are adapting quickly to shifting overseas demand. Their business models are also evolving from just selling vehicles and batteries to offering integrated solutions that span swapping infrastructure, localized production and financial cooperation.
-- A vast market ready for battery swapping
The growing popularity of battery swapping among Africa's motorcycle taxis is firmly rooted in strong market fundamentals.
Across the continent, motorcycles are far more than consumer products. For millions of riders, particularly those working in passenger transport and delivery services, they are essential tools for earning a living.
According to the FIA Foundation, the number of registered motorcycles in sub-Saharan Africa rose from around 5 million in 2010 to 27 million in 2022, with roughly 80 percent used for passenger transport or deliveries. The figure could reach around 55 million by 2030.
This vast existing fleet creates considerable demand for electrification.
With high and volatile fuel prices, energy and maintenance costs directly affect riders' take-home pay.
Spiro noted that some commercial riders traveled between 100 and 150 kilometers a day. Waiting several hours for a battery to recharge means lost fares or missed delivery orders, while a depleted battery can be swapped for a fully charged one in less than two minutes at a swapping station.
Limited access to electricity further strengthens the case for battery swapping. According to the International Energy Agency, more than 560 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to electricity.
Moreover, many commercial riders do not have fixed parking spaces or safe home-charging options. A swapping network enables centralized charging, allowing operators to schedule charging during off-peak hours or integrate it with solar power and energy storage.
By removing the battery, one of the vehicle's most expensive components, from the initial purchase price, electric motorcycles become much more affordable. Swapping stations are also evolving from simple charging facilities into service hubs that link vehicle sales, energy supply, digital payments and consumer finance.
-- From selling motorcycles to building networks
The spread of battery swapping across Africa is opening up new opportunities for China's comprehensive electric-two-wheeler supply chain.
Chinese companies are now supplying not only motorcycles but also complete packages, including vehicles, batteries, swapping equipment and operational services. Their businesses have expanded from exports to swapping-network construction, local assembly and long-term operations.
Yadea's KIFA was designed specifically for Kenya's heavy passenger-and-freight transport needs. It features a reinforced frame and seat, with a maximum carrying capacity of 250 kilograms and a range of up to 150 kilometers on two batteries. It also supports rapid battery swapping.
Yadea has partnered with ARC Ride, a local battery-swapping operator, to develop the necessary energy infrastructure. Before entering Kenya, the company had operated in Ethiopia for about three years and sold more than 48,000 motorcycles there.
Its move from Ethiopia to Kenya signals a shift from operating in a single market to building a broader regional footprint.
Deeper collaboration is visible in partnerships between Chinese manufacturers and local operators.
For example, Chinese manufacturer TAILG Technology Group and Ghanaian energy company Kofa jointly developed the Jidi electric motorcycle. The Chinese partner contributes vehicle design and large-scale manufacturing capabilities, while Kofa provides batteries, runs the swapping network and handles customer services.
The partners aim to deploy 200,000 electric motorcycles and more than 5,000 battery-swapping stations across Africa by 2030.
Chinese battery manufacturers are also becoming increasingly integrated into Africa's electric motorcycle supply chain.
In 2025, CBAK Energy announced that it had received a battery order worth approximately 11.6 million U.S. dollars from a leading African electric mobility company. The deal suggests that market demand is moving upstream from finished vehicles to battery cells, battery management systems and swapping equipment.
Capital cooperation is deepening as well.
NewTrails Capital's 55-million-U.S. dollar investment in Spiro will be used to expand production capacity, battery-swapping infrastructure and local manufacturing.
Spiro plans to purchase around 350,000 batteries from China in 2026, with an estimated value of 100 million U.S. dollars. The company also runs four assembly plants and a battery-recycling facility in Africa, and is setting up a research and development center in Kenya.
According to Spiro, it has deployed more than 100,000 electric motorcycles and over 2,500 swapping stations across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Cameroon. Its riders have completed more than 30 million battery swaps, with the network now handling nearly 100,000 swaps per day.
The expansion of Chinese electric motorcycles in Africa is moving from product exports to ecosystem building -- from selling vehicles to constructing networks, investing in local operators and co-developing supply chains. For both Chinese companies and African markets, this shift marks a transition from one-off transactions to deeper, longer-term and mutually beneficial cooperation. (Contributed by Ge Jiaming)
A single purchase
