A new electric minibus taxi – eKamva – has been launched in South Africa by a startup-led consortium, complete with flx EV business model and app.
eKamva was launched by a partnership of companies and research institutions, led by GoMetro, a transport technology platform, and also including flx EV, Powerfleet, HSW, ACDC Dynamics, and various entities within Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Engineering.
The partnership kicked off in 2023 to investigate and advance the feasibility of an electric minibus taxi in South African conditions by testing production vehicles in South Africa. The project team conducted rigorous and extensive testing in and around the town of Stellenbosch on existing taxi routes, using traditional minibus taxis.
Minibus taxi owners and operators will soon be able to apply to be added to the waiting list for the eKamva solution, with flx EV in the process of developing charging hubs with partners across South Africa. The first hubs are slated for development in Century City and Stellenbosch in the next 12 months.
The flx EV app will let taxi owners manage their fleets, see each vehicle’s status and prepay for recharging, while drivers will be directed to their closest charging hub.
“This is a new approach to electrifying the smaller-vehicle public transport industry. We believe it will spark an entirely new economic sector and is socio-economically very important for the automotive sector,” said GoMetro CEO Justin Coetzee.
