South Africa accelerates EV transition with R11.4 billion infrastructure spend
South Africa is accelerating its electric vehicle (EV) transition, with dozens of charging stations being installed
Image: Jacques Naude/Independent Newspapers
South Africa is accelerating its electric vehicle (EV) transition, with dozens of charging stations being installed nationwide by both public and private players.
This was revealed by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, during a parliamentary response to Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana, who asked about the progress of the 2023 Electric Vehicle White Paper.
Gana also asked about potential delays, funding allocations, and other measures the government has taken to support the EV sector beyond the White Paper.
“A number of charging stations are being installed by a variety of private and public sector stakeholders. The Eastern Cape Government’s Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) and Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape (AIDC-EC) successfully rolled out thirteen universal public EV charging stations across the province at a cost of about R11.4 billion over the past two years,” Tau said.
“GridCars, an operator of more than 70% of South Africa’s EV charging stations, has partnered with vehicle distributors such as Audi and Volvo to expand the network nationwide.”
Beyond infrastructure, the DTIC is engaging EV producers to invest locally and plans to leverage government procurement to support domestic EV manufacturing.
While some incentives, including tax breaks for EV production, will only begin in 2026, skills development and industry support remain central to building a sustainable EV sector.
“There is no specific ringfenced budget for implementing the White Paper, as existing programmes will be used where applicable. However, the 2024 budget reprioritised R964 million over the medium term to support the transition to electric vehicles,” Tau added.
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za
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