By Lee Naik, Regional President and CEO, TransUnion Africa
Africa’s next phase of economic growth will not be determined by how many vehicles are sold, but by how effectively mobility connects people, businesses and communities to opportunity. In a rapidly urbanising and digitising continent, mobility is becoming one of the most important foundations of economic participation and inclusion.
Yet access to mobility remains uneven. For many Africans, the challenge is not simply the cost of owning a vehicle, but the ability to reach opportunities in the first place. Addressing this requires us to rethink mobility, how it is financed and how the industry responds to the realities of African consumers.
Across Africa, mobility challenges influence daily economic decisions. A worker may decline a better-paying job because transport costs outweigh the additional income. A trader may lose income because goods cannot reach market quickly enough. A small business owner may struggle to access customers beyond their immediate community. In each case, mobility is not the challenge itself. It is the opportunity that remains out of reach.
The solution may be a vehicle, reliable public transport, a motorcycle or better infrastructure. The objective is the same: closing the distance between effort and opportunity.
Rethinking access and affordability
The scale of the opportunity is significant. According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa’s working-age population is projected to grow by more than 620 million people between 2025 and 2050, while Africa’s vehicle fleet could grow four- to fivefold over the same period.
This demographic expansion will place increasing pressure on transport systems while simultaneously creating enormous economic potential. The decisions made by industry, policymakers and financial institutions over the next decade will help determine whether this demographic growth becomes a powerful economic dividend or a missed opportunity.
Mobility will play a central role in shaping that outcome.
However, growth in vehicle numbers alone will not guarantee inclusive mobility. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), much of the projected growth in Africa’s vehicle fleet is expected to come from imported used vehicles, raising important questions around affordability, quality and road safety.
The economic cost of inadequate mobility is significant. Further research from the World Bank notes that in congested cities, low-income workers can spend more than three hours a day commuting and 15% or more of their income on the journey to work. When access to opportunity becomes both time-consuming and expensive, the impact extends far beyond transport. It affects household resilience, productivity and economic participation. Improving access to affordable, reliable mobility is therefore not just a transport issue; it is an economic imperative.
South Africa’s vehicle market reflects the tension between demand and affordability. TransUnion South Africa’s Q2 2026 Mobility Insights Report recorded year-on-year passenger-vehicle sales growth of 15.8%, while near-term purchase intent declined from 22% in Q1 to 19% in Q2. This divergence highlights an important distinction: stronger vehicle sales do not necessarily mean mobility is becoming accessible or affordable.
Addressing these challenges will require trusted data, responsible access to finance and continued innovation across the mobility ecosystem. These were key themes I explored during my recent keynote at NAAMSA, Accelerating Africa’s Access to Mobility: Why the Continent Needs to Rethink the Road to Opportunity. The conversation reinforced an important reality: mobility should not be viewed solely through the lens of vehicle ownership. It should be viewed through the lens of opportunity. Whether enabling access to employment, supporting entrepreneurship or strengthening trade, mobility is a catalyst for economic participation and growth.
Finance must reflect how Africans earn
One of the most significant opportunities lies in rethinking how mobility is financed. Traditional financing models often assume predictable monthly incomes, yet many entrepreneurs, informal traders and gig-economy workers earn variable or seasonal incomes. Their financial circumstances may not fit conventional lending criteria, even when they have the capacity to repay.
Millions of Africans generate income through entrepreneurial activity, informal commerce and increasingly diverse forms of work. Variable income does not, in itself, provide a complete picture of someone’s capacity to manage credit responsibly.
The industry needs to explore responsible financing models that rbetter reflect differing income patterns and mobility needs.
Examples such as electric motorcycles financed through flexible payment structures demonstrate how mobility can become a productive asset, helping people earn an income rather than simply adding to household expenses. M-KOPA reported financing more than 5,000 electric motorcycles in Kenya by November 2025, with 66% of riders reportedly earning more after switching. These company reported results illustrate the potential economic benefits of connecting appropriate mobility solutions with suitable financing.
However, innovative financing models can only scale if lenders have the information needed to assess risk confidently and responsibly.
Trusted data can open new pathways
Expanding access also requires us to rethink how we understand financial identity.
Across Africa, many people participate in the economy without building the conventional credit histories that financial institutions typically rely on. Mobile wallets, digital transactions and other indicators of financial behaviour may offer additional insights into how people earn, spend and manage their money.
When used responsibly, with consumer consent and robust safeguards, alternative and transactional data can help create a more complete picture of financial behaviour. This enables lenders to make better-informed decisions, expand access responsibly and support greater economic inclusion while maintaining sound risk management practices.
For TransUnion, the opportunity lies in using trusted information responsibly to help businesses build a more complete understanding of consumers. Building confidence in how information is collected and used must remain central to this progress.
Building mobility around African realities
Africa’s mobility future will not be defined by a single solution. Electric vehicles, hybrids, quality used vehicles, motorcycles, public transport and shared mobility will each play different roles across markets. Solutions must reflect local infrastructure, energy availability, consumer needs and total cost of ownership.
Africa’s rapidly growing and increasingly connected population represents one of the world’s greatest economic opportunities. Realising that potential depends on enabling more people to participate meaningfully in the economy, whether through employment, entrepreneurship or access to essential services.
No single organisation can achieve this alone. Manufacturers, financial institutions, insurers, technology providers and policymakers must work together to develop accessible, safe and sustainable solutions.
Ultimately, the success of Africa’s mobility ecosystem should not be measured solely by vehicles sold, but by opportunities unlocked. When people can access employment more easily, grow businesses more effectively and participate more fully in economic life, mobility becomes a catalyst for broader economic participation.
The question facing the continent is not simply how we move more vehicles across Africa. It is how we enable more Africans to move towards opportunity. The organisations that succeed will be those that recognise mobility not merely as a product to be financed or sold, but as a catalyst for economic progress.
Contributed articles reflect the views of their authors, not Africa.com.