Electric vehicle (EV) advocacy initiative the uYilo eMobility Programme has commemorated its first year as an implementing partner on the South Africa-UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (South Africa-UK Pact) programme, specifically on the Shifting the Transport Paradigm for South Africa (Strapsa) project.

South Africa-UK Pact projects support the country’s transition to a low-carbon, inclusive, climate-resilient economy and society.

The uYilo programme was confirmed as the South African implementation partner on a sustainable transport project, one of ten projects awarded in South Africa, in February last year.

Since then, Strapsa has trained more than 370 participants in electric road transport and charging infrastructure, through online workshops, dialogues and working knowledge reports. Participants included personnel from national government departments, State-owned utility Eskom and various women in business and leadership.

“Key personnel within the line departments and their entities have been enhanced with technical capacity to sustain climate action towards accelerating emission reductions within transport in South Africa,” said uYilo director Hiten Parmar on March 4.

The Strapsa project aims to support South Africa’s national Green Transport Strategy, published by the Department of Transport, specifically Strategic Pillar 8, which deals with the promotion of hybrid and electric vehicles, targeting a 5% electric vehicle fleet conversion by 2025.

“We are pleased that the team has successfully achieved the project milestones and deliverables of the Strapsa project,” said uYilo programme manager Edem Foli.

She added the uYilo capacity-building initiative had increased each of the participants’ knowledge on topics of electric road transport – private, public and micro-mobility, charging infrastructure, consultative workshops and international-themed webinars by project partner Cenex UK.

The output documents are tailored to the South African environment, challenges, and experiences in transitioning to new technology, addressing climate change and a just energy transition.

“In 2022, the focus for the Strapsa project is on building capacity, knowledge and capability on electric road transport at regional level to aid with the reduction of road transport emissions,” said Parmar.

Emissions from the transport sector account for 13% of South Africa’s total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. This sector is the fastest-growing source of the country’s greenhouse-gas emissions, having increased by 44% between 2000 and 2015.

Road transport accounts for more than 90% of this sector’s total emissions, with fossil fuel internal combustion engine vehicles dominating all road transport modes in the country.

The National Green Transport Strategy of 2018, supplemented by municipal-level integrated transport plans, outlined priorities aimed at developing a sustainable and low-carbon transport sector in South Africa.