{"id":91318,"date":"2026-06-05T13:58:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T13:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/?p=91318"},"modified":"2026-06-09T10:49:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T10:49:06","slug":"outlier-158-electric-vehicles-african-remittances-myciti-bus-trips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/2026\/06\/05\/outlier-158-electric-vehicles-african-remittances-myciti-bus-trips\/","title":{"rendered":"Outlier #158: Electric vehicles, African remittances, MyCiti bus trips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\ud83d\ude97 Plug-and-go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

New energy vehicle (NEV) sales have gained momentum with the growth of South Africa\u2019s electric vehicle market. Over the past six years NEV sales have grown from just a few hundred (407) vehicles in 2019 to more than 16,000 in 2025. NEVs include electric vehicles as well as traditional and plug-in hybrids. In total 46,430 were sold between 2019 and 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While traditional hybrids continue to dominate the market, accounting for the vast majority (77%) of the NEV sales (12,818 in 2025), sales of plug-in hybrids more than tripled between 2024 and 2025 \u2013 increasing from 738 to 2,810.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is understandable, because plug-in hybrids are like starter cars for people interested in going electric but still wanting the familiarity of petrol (just in case loadshedding returns or you can\u2019t find a charging station).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Q1 stats for 2026 show even stronger growth in plug-in hybrid sales, with Q1 sales five times higher than Q1 2025. Sales of electric vehicles nearly doubled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say what?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t know your plug-in from your traditional hybrid? Here\u2019s a quick cheatsheet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional hybrid:<\/strong> The engine charges the battery automatically while you drive. You never plug it in, and it typically uses less fuel than a conventional petrol car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plug-in hybrid:<\/strong> Has both a petrol engine and a larger battery that you charge from an electricity socket, letting you drive short distances on electricity alone before switching to petrol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fully electric:<\/strong> Runs entirely on battery power with no petrol engine. You charge it like a phone, albeit with a bit more power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While South African consumers have shown growing interest in EVs, drawn by lower running costs and rising petrol prices, the upfront purchase price remains the biggest obstacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most major manufacturers, switching from petrol to electric still comes at a steep premium. BMW’s cheapest electric costs R1.2-million against R713,000 for its cheapest ICE (internal combustion engine) model \u2013 a gap of nearly R500,000. Mercedes-Benz and Mini Cooper show similar spreads. The outlier is Volvo, where the gap has narrowed to just R41,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese EV-only entrants to the local market, like Geely, BYD and Dayun \u2013 with models starting below R400,000 \u2013 may be the ones to finally shift the balance towards electric cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\ud83d\udcb8\" Sending money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Africa’s payment market was valued at $329-billion in 2025. Yet traditional banking is failing the people who need it most, with cross-border fees averaging between 7.4% and 8.3% and payments taking up to seven days to clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The World Bank’s Global Findex Report for 2025 surveyed adults across 35 Sub-Saharan African countries on whether they received money from overseas in 2024. The results reveal how unevenly cross-border financial infrastructure is distributed across the continent. In Senegal, 45% of adults received international remittances, the highest rate in the dataset, reflecting one of Africa’s largest diaspora networks in Europe. In The Gambia and Comoros, rates exceeded 30%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa tells a different story. It\u2019s the continent’s most financially developed economy, so it ranked 28th out of 35 countries. According to the survey, just 9% of adults reported receiving money from abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n