The EV International Conference and Expo is set to take place from Tuesday, 7 March to Thursday, 9 March 2023. The event will be hosted by the Africa Energy Indaba (AEI) at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and is aimed at automotive suppliers, manufacturers, government departments and prospective end-users of electric vehicles.
The event’s main purpose is to display new technologies for batteries and other components for EVs, as well as the benefits of these new-age vehicles in the South African context. As a prominent manufacturer and supplier of automotive components to various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in South Africa, Formex Industries knows the value of expos and trade shows such as this.
The EV International Conference and Expo is expected to draw in key government officials, policymakers, business leaders and stakeholders from the entire automotive sector and supply chain. Organisers are expecting thousands of attendees and up to 500 exhibitors over the three-day expo.
The African EV industry
The European Union (EU) recently announced a ban on internal combustion engines from 2035, which will certainly result in an increase in sales of EVs overseas. This is also likely to benefit the African market, including South Africa, as vehicle and component exports are a major contributor to local economies.
It’s estimated that 130 000 EVs are sold every week across the globe, with a total of 16 million battery-powered cars driving on the roads currently. Future Market Insights estimates that the global EV battery sector will exceed $13-billion (~R1.94-trillion) by 2027. This upward trajectory will result in the growth in popularity of EVs in Africa too.
African governments are adopting more environmentally-friendly policies, which will improve the adoption rate of EVs in the near future. In South Africa, charging stations are being developed nationwide and almost all car brands have already introduced electric models to the local market.
Currently, transport contributes 10% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Africa, so EVs are being hailed as a definitive way to reduce carbon emissions. In addition, six countries make up 70% of Africa’s total vehicle sales; South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia and Nigeria. If these countries can sustain a thriving EV market, then it will go a long way to slowing down global warming and protecting the environment.
South Africa already addressing challenges
Sub-Saharan Africa needs to promote sustainable mobility and avoid becoming a dumbing ground for the globe’s unwanted internal combustion engines in the future. The South African government is already working on an industry-wide new energy vehicle (NEV) roadmap which paves the way toward sustainable mobility. Kenya, Rwanda and Egypt are doing the same.
South Africa’s rollout of charging stations has also placed the country 5th in the world in terms of the ratio of EV chargers to vehicles. Korea, Mexico, Chile, Indonesia and the Netherlands are the only countries with more charging stations per EV than South Africa. The United Nations (UN) predicts that in 2050, 40% of passenger vehicles in Africa will be electric.
South Africa is also a mineral-rich country, which makes it a valuable player in EV production as lithium, copper, cobalt and other minerals are needed to produce batteries. This, coupled with proper policies and solutions that support sustainable mobility and socio-economic development will ensure that South Africa benefits from the EV revolution.
The EV International Conference and Expo will outline these factors and more. Attendees will beagle to see cutting-edge technologies and developments that are shaping the EV landscape and the entire automotive supply chain. For more information about our components and products, please contact us today.
Formex Industries is a metal forming and assembly company that supplies a variety of complex products to the local automotive industry and the export market. The company is based in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole, South Africa’s foremost region for automotive manufacturing and export.
Formex is a Level 2 B-BBEE supplier. The company is owned by Deneb Investments Limited – a subsidiary of Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited (HCI) – one of South Africa’s biggest true B-BBEE companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
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