Women in Rural Zimbabwe are Empowered by Electric Tricycles

A 31-year-old Zimbabwean housewife named Anna Bhobho rides into the market on an electric tricycle loaded with tomatoes. Once a mute observer in her home, Bhobho was not allowed to participate in family or financial decision-making due to the strong patriarchal culture. Thanks to an electric tricycle she now owns and uses to transport crops for farmers in Wedza district, which is roughly 150 kilometres (almost 100 miles) from Harare, she is now a force for change in her area.

Women have historically been excluded from major economic activities, such as running public transportation, in many rural sub-Saharan African countries. Green energy-powered three-wheelers are changing that trend by providing newfound significance and financial potential. “My spouse now depends on me to pay for most household expenses, such as groceries, our kids’ tuition, and furniture purchases. I couldn’t do anything before, but I can contribute and assist now that I have this trike,” Bhobho adds.

The tricycles, known as “Hamba” in Ndebele, which means “go,” are propelled by lithium-ion batteries charged by the sun. In 2019, the initiative was piloted by a local firm called Mobility for Africa, which leased the cars to groups of women for $15 per month. They are now available for individual ladies like Bhobho to acquire through a lease-to-purchase arrangement. Bhobho is now a landowner, has started a small grocery store, is paying off a car, and has transferred her kids from a rural public school with little funding to a private school with more resources. She makes up to $300 a month, similar to government employees like teachers.

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