South Africa is Africa's biggest CO2 emitter. The country generates around 80% of its electricity from coal, making it one of the countries with the largest share of coal in the global energy mix. At national level, South Africa has set itself the objective of transitioning to a carbon-free economy by 2050 through the energy transition. The Western Cape has also set out in its revised climate change strategy to become a net-zero emissions province by 2050. The objective is to be achieved by promoting electromobility, among other things. In addition to the energy crisis, South Africa has been in an economic crisis for years. 66.5% of 15-24-year-olds are unemployed. A new business model, which is to be developed with the project based on electric cargo bikes, will create new employment opportunities that will enable (young) people to find a way out of unemployment. Particular attention is being paid to the inclusion of women, who are often marginalised in multiple ways.
The objective of the project is to establish e-cargo bikes with climate-friendly charging stations in Stellenbosch and to anchor them in a sustainability business model for trade and commerce. Furthermore, a contribution is to be made to the climate-friendly transformation of the transport sector and the acceptance of renewable energy. Specifically, the initial focus is on the further technical development of the e-cargo bikes already produced in the previous project and the establishment of a pilot charging hub with the use of renewable energy. The project focuses on developing a viable business model for disadvantaged people from the surrounding townships, e.g. in the form of a cooperative. High-profile events are intended to contribute to the development of a cycling culture. In a final step, the extent to which the project design can be transferred to other countries in Africa, such as Kenya or Senegal, will be examined with corresponding organisations from selected African countries.
The project is being implemented in Germany and South Africa by several interconnected partners. On the South African side, cooperation is being sought with the non-governmental organisation SEED (Stellenbosch Entrepreneur and Enterprise Development), the bicycle company Lark Cycle and the University of Stellenbosch. On the German side, the project is being implemented with Innovationsmanufaktur, whose holistic innovation approach takes into account the requirements of all relevant target groups in order to achieve a sustainable impact. The BLP project works closely with the technical cooperation project WE4D - Employment Promotion for Women for the Green Transformation - in South Africa.