Sustainable green motorized transportation in Africa: a systematic review of challenges, innovations, and policy interventions

Enock Musau Gideon

Abstract


Introduction: The current state of sustainable green motorized transportation in Africa is a subject of growing interest due to rapid urbanization, population growth, and the increasing demand for transportation services. The literature in this field highlights the urgent need for Africa to adopt sustainable practices in motorized transportation to mitigate environmental impacts, reduce carbon emissions, and promote sustainable development.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple electronic databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Transport Research International Documentation (TRID), to identify relevant studies for inclusion in this systematic review. The search sought to retrieve peer-reviewed articles that address the role of industrialization and policy interventions in promoting sustainable green motorized transportation in Africa. The search followed a systematic and replicable approach to identify relevant literature comprehensively and complied with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statements.

Results: Research highlighted innovative approaches tailored to Africa's unique needs, including developing electric drive trains for cycles and electric two and three-wheelers to reduce pollution, enhance efficiency, and ensure affordability in the transportation sector. The review further revealed that rapid industrialization in African countries has increased vehicular traffic, resulting in environmental challenges like rising greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Policy interventions encompassing infrastructure improvements, decarbonization strategies, emission standards, and adopting sustainable transportation technology are significant in shaping Africa's green motorized transportation landscape.

Discussions

The studies highlighted innovative strategies for sustainable green motorized transportation in Africa, including electric cycles, active transport, green infrastructure, and electric two-wheelers. These strategies emphasize the importance of tailored, eco-friendly approaches to address Africa's unique transportation needs, reducing pollution and enhancing efficiency. Industrialization has led to increased vehicle numbers, resulting in rising emissions and environmental challenges. Implementing emission standards and sustainable practices is crucial to mitigate these issues. Policy interventions play a vital role, but challenges like low government commitment and coordination need to be overcome for effective implementation

 

Received on: 22 May 2025

Accepted on: 01 July 2025

Published on: 10 September 2025


Keywords


Sustainable, Green, Motorized Transportation, Industrialization, Policy

Full Text:

PDF

References


Adegun, O.B., Ikudayisi, A.E., Morakinyo, T.E. and Olusoga, O.O. (2021), “Urban green infrastructure in Nigeria: A review”, Scientific African, doi: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2021.e01044.

Adjei-Mantey, K., Adusah-Poku, F. and Kwakwa, P.A. (2023), “International tourism, exchange rate, and renewable energy: Do they boost or burden efforts towards a low carbon economy in selected African countries?”, Cogent Economics & Finance, Vol. 11 No. 2, doi: 10.1080/23322039.2023.2245258.

Ahmad, A.Y., Osei-Amponsah, C. and Kebede, K.Y. (2022), “Introduction to a special issue on ‘Building innovation capabilities for sustainable industrialization in Africa: status and prospects’”, Innovation and Development, doi: 10.1080/2157930X.2021.1928988.

Ahmed, S., Naz, F., Abbas, Z. and Hummaira Batool, K. (2022), “Impact of Green Innovation on Sustainable Development with Mediating Effect of Knowledge Management”, Journal of Business Management Studies-JBMS, Vol. 1 No. 1.

Akinsola, F.A., Ologundudu, M.M., Akinsola, M.O. and Odhiambo, N.M. (2022), “Industrial development, urbanization and pollution nexus in Africa”, Heliyon, Vol. 8 No. 11, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11299.

Akpan, U. and Morimoto, R. (2022), “Motorized travel mode choices of smallholder farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria”, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Vol. 13, doi: 10.1016/j.trip.2022.100569.

Aladejare, S.A. and Nyiputen, I.R. (2023), “Ecological response to industrialisation drivers in Africa”, Environmental Development, Vol. 47, doi: 10.1016/j.envdev.2023.100896.

Aminu, N., Clifton, N. and Mahe, S. (2023), “From pollution to prosperity: Investigating the Environmental Kuznets curve and pollution-haven hypothesis in sub-Saharan Africa’s industrial sector”, Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 342, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118147.

Angnunavuri, P.N., Kuranchie, F.A., Attiogbe, F. and Nerquaye-Tetteh, E.N. (2019), “The potential of integrating vehicular emissions policy into Ghana’s transport policy for sustainable urban mobility”, SN Applied Sciences, Vol. 1 No. 10, doi: 10.1007/s42452-019-1215-8.

Anuga, S.W. and Njenga, N. (2022), “Why does an African interpretation of energy poverty matter? A note for Sub-Saharan (SSA) energy policy actors”, European University Institute.

Appiah, M., Onifade, S.T. and Gyamfi, B.A. (2022), “Building Critical Infrastructures: Evaluating the Roles of Governance and Institutions in Infrastructural Developments in Sub-Sahara African Countries”, Evaluation Review, Vol. 46 No. 4, doi: 10.1177/0193841X221100370.

Awad, A., Mallek, R.S., Ozturk, I. and Abdalla, Y.A. (2023), “Infrastructure Development’s role in environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts and transmission channels”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 414, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137622.

Ayetor, G.K., Mashele, J. and Mbonigaba, I. (2023), “The progress toward the transition to electromobility in Africa”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2023.113533.

Ayetor, G.K., Mbonigaba, I., Ampofo, J. and Sunnu, A. (2021), “Investigating the state of road vehicle emissions in Africa: A case study of Ghana and Rwanda”, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Vol. 11, doi: 10.1016/j.trip.2021.100409.

Ayetor, G.K., Mbonigaba, I. and Mashele, J. (2023), “Feasibility of electric two and three-wheelers in Africa”, Green Energy and Intelligent Transportation, Vol. 2 No. 4, doi: 10.1016/j.geits.2023.100106.

Cascetta, E., Botte, M. and Limmatola, A. (2025), “The seven transport revolutions and the structure of cities: Between history and possible futures”.

Catania, G.F.G., Sortino, F. and Petralia, A. (2025), “Review and evaluation of the evolution of urban regeneration in the era of technological and ecological transition”, p. 080002, doi: 10.1063/5.0248176.

Chakwizira, J. (2022), “Stretching resilience and adaptive transport systems capacity in South Africa: Imperfect or perfect attempts at closing COVID -19 policy and planning emergent gaps”, Transport Policy, Vol. 125, doi: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.06.003.

Chinguwa, S., Nyemba, W.R., Ngondo, E. and Mbohwa, C. (2019), “Development of an electric drive train for cycles as a sustainable means of transportation for a green environment”, Procedia Manufacturing, Vol. 33, pp. 91–98, doi: 10.1016/j.promfg.2019.04.013.

Collett, K.A. and Hirmer, S.A. (2021), “Data needed to decarbonize paratransit in Sub-Saharan Africa”, Nature Sustainability, doi: 10.1038/s41893-021-00721-7.

“Enabling measures for an inclusive green economy in Africa”. (2016), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Fourie, W. (2018), “Aligning South Africa’s National Development Plan with the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals: Guidelines from the Policy Coherence for Development movement”, Sustainable Development, Vol. 26 No. 6, doi: 10.1002/sd.1745.

Foxon, T.J., Hammond, G.P. and Pearson, P.J.G. (2020), “Socio-technical transitions in UK electricity: part 2 – technologies and sustainability”, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Energy, Vol. 173 No. 3, pp. 123–136, doi: 10.1680/jener.19.00076.

Galuszka, J., Martin, E., Nkurunziza, A., Achieng’ Oginga, J., Senyagwa, J., Teko, E. and Lah, O. (2021), “East Africa’s Policy and Stakeholder Integration of Informal Operators in Electric Mobility Transitions—Kigali, Nairobi, Kisumu and Dar es Salaam”, Sustainability, Vol. 13 No. 4, p. 1703, doi: 10.3390/su13041703.

Galuszka, J., Martin, E., Nkurunziza, A., Oginga, J.A., Senyagwa, J., Teko, E. and Lah, O. (2021), “East Africa’s policy and stakeholder integration of informal operators in electric mobility transitions—kigali, nairobi, kisumu and dar es salaam”, Sustainability (Switzerland), Vol. 13 No. 4, doi: 10.3390/su13041703.

Geels, F.W. (2005), Technological Transitions and System Innovations, Edward Elgar Publishing, doi: 10.4337/9781845424596.

Heyns, G.J. and Luke, R. (2016), “South African public opinion on the state of urban transport: an appraisal of the achievement of policy objectives”, Urban Transport XXII, Vol. 1, doi: 10.2495/ut160011.

Hlotywa, A. and Ndaguba, E.A. (2017), “Assessing the impact of road transport infrastructure investment on economic development in South Africa”, Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, Vol. 11 No. 0, doi: 10.4102/jtscm.v11i0.324.

Jensen, F. and Whitfield, L. (2022), “Leveraging participation in apparel global supply chains through green industrialization strategies: Implications for low-income countries”, Ecological Economics, Vol. 194, doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107331.

Katoto, P.D.M.C., Byamungu, L., Brand, A.S., Mokaya, J., Strijdom, H., Goswami, N., De Boever, P., et al. (2019), “Ambient air pollution and health in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current evidence, perspectives and a call to action.”, Environmental Research, doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.03.029.

Kraff, B.D. (2024), “Analysis of the Effects of Urban Mobility Concepts on the Socio-Technical Transformation Process in Major Cities: A Qualitative Study of Transforming European Cities”, pp. 257–283, doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-8003-1_15.

Lanre Ibrahim, R., Bello Ajide, K., Usman, M. and Kousar, R. (2022), “Heterogeneous effects of renewable energy and structural change on environmental pollution in Africa: Do natural resources and environmental technologies reduce pressure on the environment?”, Renewable Energy, Vol. 200, doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.09.134.

Li, X., Stringer, L.C. and Dallimer, M. (2022a), “The Impacts of Urbanisation and Climate Change on the Urban Thermal Environment in Africa”, Climate, Vol. 10 No. 11, p. 164, doi: 10.3390/cli10110164.

Li, X., Stringer, L.C. and Dallimer, M. (2022b), “The Impacts of Urbanisation and Climate Change on the Urban Thermal Environment in Africa”, Climate, Vol. 10 No. 11, p. 164, doi: 10.3390/cli10110164.

Lin, B., Omoju, O.E. and Okonkwo, J.U. (2015), “Impact of industrialisation on CO2 emissions in Nigeria”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.164.

Lukuyu, J., Shirley, R. and Taneja, J. (2024), “Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities”, Scientific Reports, Vol. 14 No. 1, p. 24320, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-75039-3.

Marcon Nora, G.A. and Alberton, A. (2021), “Sociotechnical Transitions Towards Sustainability in a Multilevel Perspective: overview and future perspectives”, Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental, Vol. 15, p. e02784, doi: 10.24857/rgsa.v15.2784.

Masilela, P. and Pradhan, A. (2021), “A life cycle sustainability assessment of biomethane versus biohydrogen – For application in electricity or vehicle fuel? Case studies for African context”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 328, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129567.

Miörner, J., Heiberg, J. and Binz, C. (2022), “How global regimes diffuse in space – Explaining a missed transition in San Diego’s water sector”, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Vol. 44, pp. 29–47, doi: 10.1016/j.eist.2022.05.005.

Mosissa, S.T., Zhongwei, S., Tsegaye, W.H. and Teklemariam, E.A. (2023), “Prioritization of green infrastructure planning principles using analytic hierarchy process: The case of Addis Ababa”, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, Vol. 85, doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127965.

Musah, M., Gyamfi, B.A., Kwakwa, P.A. and Agozie, D.Q. (2023), “Realizing the 2050 Paris climate agreement in West Africa: the role of financial inclusion and green investments”, Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 340, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117911.

Musakwa, W. and Gumbo, T. (2017), “Impact of urban policy on public transportation in gauteng, South Africa: Smart or dumb city systems is the question”, Green Energy and Technology, Vol. 0, doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-54984-2_16.

Mwampamba, T.H., Owen, M. and Pigaht, M. (2013), “Opportunities, challenges and way forward for the charcoal briquette industry in Sub-Saharan Africa”, Energy for Sustainable Development, Vol. 17 No. 2, doi: 10.1016/j.esd.2012.10.006.

Naeem, M.A., Appiah, M., Karim, S. and Yarovaya, L. (2023), “What abates environmental efficiency in African economies? Exploring the influence of infrastructure, industrialization, and innovation”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 186, doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122172.

Nethengwe, N.S. (2021), “Transport Modes and the Green Economy”, Green Economy in the Transport Sector: A Case Study of Limpopo Province, South Africa, doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-86178-0_3.

Njoh, A.J. (2012), “Impact of Transportation Infrastructure on Development in East Africa and the Indian Ocean Region”, Journal of Urban Planning and Development, Vol. 138 No. 1, doi: 10.1061/(asce)up.1943-5444.0000091.

Ofori, I.K., Gbolonyo, E.Y. and Ojong, N. (2022), “Towards inclusive green growth in Africa: Critical energy efficiency synergies and governance thresholds”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 369, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132917.

Ofori, I.K., Gbolonyo, E.Y. and Ojong, N. (2023), “Foreign direct investment and inclusive green growth in Africa: Energy efficiency contingencies and thresholds”, Energy Economics, Vol. 117, doi: 10.1016/j.eneco.2022.106414.

Okereke, C., Coke, A., Geebreyesus, M., Ginbo, T., Wakeford, J.J. and Mulugetta, Y. (2019), “Governing green industrialisation in Africa: Assessing key parameters for a sustainable socio-technical transition in the context of Ethiopia”, World Development, Vol. 115, doi: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.11.019.

Olojede, O.A. (2021), “Transport decarbonisation in South Africa: a case for active transport”, Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport, Vol. 110, pp. 125–142, doi: 10.20858/sjsutst.2021.110.11.

Oyekunle, O.A. (2017), “The contribution of creative industries to sustainable urban development in South Africa”, African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, Vol. 9 No. 5, doi: 10.1080/20421338.2017.1327932.

Palk, L., Okano, J.T., Dullie, L. and Blower, S. (2020), “Travel time to health-care facilities, mode of transportation, and HIV elimination in Malawi: a geospatial modelling analysis”, The Lancet Global Health, Vol. 8 No. 12, pp. e1555–e1564, doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30351-X.

Posada, F. (2018), “Unique challenges and solutions to sustainable transport issues in Africa”, July.

Qin, Z., Pan, Y., Peng, P., Chen, H. and Mazheti, W.K. (2023), “Impact of industrial development and machinery and transport equipment on natural resources in South Africa”, Resources Policy, Vol. 82, doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103527.

Quaye, I., Amponsah, O., Azunre, G.A., Takyi, S.A. and Braimah, I. (2022), “A review of experimental informal urbanism initiatives and their implications for sub-Saharan Africa’s sustainable cities’ agenda”, Sustainable Cities and Society, Vol. 83, doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2022.103938.

Rajé, F., Tight, M. and Pope, F.D. (2018), “Traffic pollution: A search for solutions for a city like Nairobi”, Cities, Vol. 82, doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2018.05.008.

Remme, D., Sareen, S. and Haarstad, H. (2022), “Who benefits from sustainable mobility transitions? Social inclusion, populist resistance and elite capture in Bergen, Norway”, Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 105, doi: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2022.103475.

Sovacool, B.K., Daniels, C. and AbdulRafiu, A. (2022), “Transitioning to electrified, automated and shared mobility in an African context: A comparative review of Johannesburg, Kigali, Lagos and Nairobi”, Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 98, doi: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2021.103256.

Sui, J. and Liu, Y. (2020), “Co-Evolution of Technology and Institutions in Emerging Industries: Case from Electric Vehicles in China”, Journal of Industrial Integration and Management, Vol. 05 No. 01, pp. 13–31, doi: 10.1142/S2424862219500143.

Thondoo, M., Mueller, N., Rojas-Rueda, D., de Vries, D., Gupta, J. and Nieuwenhuijsen, M.J. (2020), “Participatory quantitative health impact assessment of urban transport planning: A case study from Eastern Africa”, Environment International, Vol. 144, doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106027.

Wimbadi, R.W., Djalante, R. and Mori, A. (2021), “Urban experiments with public transport for low carbon mobility transitions in cities: A systematic literature review (1990–2020)”, Sustainable Cities and Society, doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2021.103023.

Wright, C.Y., Moore, C.E., Chersich, M., Hester, R., Schwerdtle, P.N., Mbayo, G.K., Akong, C.N., et al. (2021), “A transdisciplinary approach to address climate change adaptation for human health and well-being in africa”, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 18 No. 8, doi: 10.3390/ijerph18084258.

Yaro, J.A. (2015), “Squaring growth with green transition in Africa’s automobile sector”, Energy and Transport in Green Transition: Perspectives on Ecomodernity, doi: 10.4324/9781315761138-7.




DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21622/IBL.2025.05.1.1364

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Enock Musau Gideon

International Business Logistics

E-ISSN: 2735-5969

P-ISSN: 2735-5950

 

Published by:

Academy Publishing Center (APC)

Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT)

Alexandria, Egypt

ibl@aast.edu