Julie Wurtz

Entrepreneurs are renowned for starting businesses addressing challenges faced by local communities, based on their innovation and problem solving abilities. Considering that the transport industry in South Africa is plagued with many issues, such as congestion and access to safe and reliable public transport, entrepreneurs may hold the key to providing solutions geared towards smarter mobility.  

This is according to Ben Pullen, CEO at Generation.e who refers to a report by global software company Inrix, which revealed South Africa’s major cities are struggling with congestion – with Cape Town ranking 28th globally, followed by Pretoria at 54th and Johannesburg at 82nd. “This indicates a dire need for smarter mobility, such as personal mobility and shared mobility solutions (including ridesharing solutions), smart parking solutions, transport integration platforms, asset sharing or vehicle rental, environmentally sustainable mobility equipment and multimodal transport solutions.”

“It is for this reason that we have launched a Start-up Pitch Competition which will take place at the Smarter Mobility Africa 2019 summit, in order to identify start-ups and small businesses that can offer smart, eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to transport people and products,” adds Pullen.

“We are looking for start-ups who have unique solutions in the market, but are looking for exposure for growth and scaling-up opportunities,” he says. “Winning applicants will be invited to pitch their start-up to top judges from industry, academia, business incubators and municipalities, after which the Programme Committee selects the submissions that are best aligned with the selected themes for the year.”

Our Start-ups Pitch Competition aims to promote, develop and support the entrepreneurial creativity of start-ups within the African green mobility space, explains Pullen. “If you are an entrepreneur currently involved in the development of mobility concepts and options for a particular city, or for public transport users and drivers, with a positive impact on traffic congestion, creating transportation systems that are energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable, then this is for you.” 

Minister of transport Fikile Mbalula recently said that South Africa is somewhere between “being pioneers in information technology-based mobility disruption and being later responders and adopters”.  

Mbalula said: “The transport systems of today and tomorrow will be connected, data-driven, shared, on-demand, electric, and highly automated. Ideas are moving swiftly from conception, research and design, tested to early adoption, and, finally, mass acceptance. According to the World Bank, the pace of innovation is only going to accelerate.”

As such, it is now more important than ever for South Africa’s entrepreneurs to take action not only to improve the socio-economic state of the country, but also to not miss this opportunity that this sector holds for them in terms of business growth.

Please find more information on the competition below:

Generation.e is inviting mobility and energy innovators, businesses and services to submit applications to participate in the Pitching Competition. The best 10 start-ups will be invited to present their respective innovative solutions in October at Smarter Mobility Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Winning entrants will receive an inclusive delegate pass, PR exposure, networking opportunities as well as the opportunity to showcase their ideas, solutions and technologies to a wider audience which includes: Venture capitalists, angel investors and business development experts, banks and top judges. 

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The World Economic Forum has revealed that by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will be living and operating in urban areas. Considering the resultant congestion and air pollution, which are already challenges requiring mitigation in 2019, mobility and energy should be top of mind for those making the shift towards cities of the future.

Many cities globally have started to adopt smarter mobility solutions, and it is now more important than ever for South Africa and the rest of Africa to follow suit in order to remain competitive whilst providing sustainable and affordable living conditions for its citizens.

This is according to Ben Pullen, CEO at Generation.e, the team responsible for bringing the Smarter Mobility Africa summit in partnership with the Department of Transport and Gauteng Provincial Government to South Africa, taking place at the Sun Arena at Time Square on 1-2 October. “We are driven to bring much needed attention to the potential of smarter mobility in the creation of better connected and sustainable societies.”

Our speakers share this goal and will be highlighting current and future trends, insights and considerations to our visitors over the span of the two day event, says Pullen. “This will include real life cases and examples of how smarter mobility has addressed real world challenges as well as knowledge and experience sharing from thought leaders.”

The event will be officially opened by Roger Atkins, Founder of Electric Vehicles Outlook (UK) and 702 host and presenter, Azania Mosaka and they will be joined by more than 100 experts talking pertinent issues throughout the summit.

For example, Tim Abbott, CEO: BMW Group South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Jacob Mamabolo, MEC: Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure – Gauteng Provincial Government, will be discussing how rapid urbanisation has created a need for smarter mobility solutions to address congestion, pollution and traffic accidents. During this session, they look at the past, the present and the future of mobility in Africa and will discuss how African cities could become more socially just, progressive, and enjoyable.

Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors will talk to how the automotive industry is undergoing a radical transformation, with most carmakers agreeing that the next 10 years will bring more change than the previous century. His driving question will be: how are car manufacturers gearing up to support the transition to smarter mobility globally?

Further to this, Dr Martyn Davies, Director and Managing Director of Emerging Markets & Africa at Deloitte will be discussing how a dramatic move away from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles is expected to happen by 2025 with plug-in EVs replacing them. He will look at the socio-economic impact of electrification of the transport sector on primarily the automotive and oil industry, as well as power sectors.

Lisa Conibear, Business Manager for The Shell Foundation says despite its environmental benefits, the amount of smarter mobility options and EV use in Africa is still very limited. Slow penetration in developing countries and countries with emerging markets might be explained by certain factors that discourage vital investment into new and emerging mobility solutions. In her session, she will address limitation to investment of smarter mobility and EV adoption, assess opportunities related to unlocking proactive investment from potential fiscal and non-fiscal incentive programmes to innovative subsidies through national smart mobility and EV programmes.

Vuyisile Majola, Head of SANTACO Gauteng Business will talk to how, in big African cities, informal paratransit services are responsible for the majority of public transport ridership, accounting for over 70% of all transit rides. These on-demand minibus services in sub-Saharan African cities provide affordable and accessible mobility and have become an integral part of the African urban culture. However, she says the industry should move with the times and look at the potential solutions available today and in the future to drive more reliable, efficient, affordable, and cleaner paratransit systems for Africa.

Colin McKerracher, Head of Advanced Transport for BloombergNEF will deliver a presentation on the global outlook for the electric vehicle market. This session will look at EV sales trends, policies, the outlook for battery prices and the impact of disruptive mobility services on the overall car market.

Country manager of Bolt South Africa, Gareth Taylor, wants to talk to delegates about public/private partnerships that can be formed to enable SA to keep pace with other leaders in mobility. He will focus on the future of transport, noting that EVs will be changing the transport industry long before autonomous vehicles come into play. He believes that convenient and affordable Mobility-as-a-Service is already enabling progress, and that the local environment is already embracing this trend’s potential.

With big name blue-chips like Siemens, Nissan, and Jaguar, sharing the stage, uYilo’s Hiten Parmar is ready to talk about the innovation and trends that will be completely new to some attendees. Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), the circular economy for EV batteries and holistic energy management for the charging of EVs are top of the mind along with the need for resilient charging infrastructure  solutions. Parmar says now is the time to paint the picture of the mobility future we want to see and many elements must take a space on the canvas.

“All of these esteemed speakers will be bringing their A game to the summit with educated and detailed insights shared,” says Pullen. “We’re looking forward to lively panel discussions, keynote talks and debates – disagreements, even – but most importantly, we hope delegates leave each session with a different way of seeing the future of mobility in South Africa.”

The Smarter Mobility Summit Africa that was held at the Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria on 1-2 October, showcased inspiring levels of commitment and innovation, but it also shone a spotlight on the obstacles holding back a truly smarter, sustainable mobility ecosystem in South Africa and the rest of Africa.

Ben Pullen, CEO of Generation.e, the driving force behind the summit and Africa’s first-ever electric vehicle road trip (EVRT) says that he is more convinced than ever that South Africa and the continent is ready to enter the era of smarter mobility on a mass scale. However, he says, a shortage of funding threatens to put the breaks on superb innovation on the continent, and he calls on all stakeholders to pull together and redouble efforts at raising awareness and attracting the support and funding required to make smarter mobility a reality.

“The summit was a massive success and the innovations on display are very exciting, particularly around non-vehicle smarter mobility, such as Lifti – which won the start-up pitch competition. In essence, it is a carpooling platform that connects those needing a ride with empty seats in vehicles going in the same direction. This way we use the vehicles already on our roads without needing to add more. 

“These types of innovations demonstrate how smarter mobility is far more than just electric vehicles. Non-vehicle smarter mobility plays an essential role in transforming the country’s transport landscape and that’s why all innovation in this area needs to be nurtured and grown,” he says. Nduduzo Nyanda, Country Manager for South Africa at Uber, the official mobility partner for the Smarter Mobility Africa summit, says Uber’s technology has become an important part of the transportation fabric of cities. “All of us want cleaner, less-congested cities where everyone can move freely. In partnership with cities and transit agencies, we can help make public transit more accessible and easier to use while reducing private car ownership. Just as personal car ownership had a fundamental impact on mobility in the last century, new forms of transportation are spurring another revolution—one that comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Today, we’re at an inflection point, the private and public sectors need to come together and collaborate on ways to create smarter, safer and more efficient ways of getting people from A to B.

That’s why we continue to support initiatives like these that provide a platform to discuss shared goals, so that together, we can create a better future for the cities we live and operate in.” Innovation requires funding and Pullen says it has been reported that out of all the funding globally that has gone into tech recently, less than 1% made its way to Africa. “As tech is the backbone to introducing smarter mobility, this has to change. We must find ways to attract investors, corporates and others into the space. Events such as the summit and EVRT are a good first step at raising awareness and attracting funding – but we must use this excitement as a springboard to push onwards.

“Our feedback has been fantastic – people have responded exceptionally well to the events, and so now we must shift up a gear!”

In addition to awareness and funding, it is crucial that all spheres of government are on board, he says. Referring to the partnership with the Department of Transport, Gauteng Provincial Government, City of Tshwane, SANEDI, and SANRAL, Pullen said it is encouraging to see political-will and appreciation for the importance of a sustainable transport sector. He added that national government should consider putting in place strong incentives to switch to smarter mobility solutions, as besides the environment benefitting, there are a slew of potential economic benefits to be enjoyed by the country as a whole and particularly by entrepreneurs and
small businesses.

“We are on the road now. Our destination? An Africa that embraces smarter mobility on a large, meaningful scale,” says Pullen.

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