There are about 13-million vehicles on South Africa’s roads. Less than 1% of them are plug-in electric vehicles, said Hiten Parmar of non-profit Electric Mission in a webinar hosted by EE Publishers on 6 August 2025. That doesn’t sound particularly positive, but car sales data shows that South Africa is on the right track.

Sales of battery electric vehicles in South Africa have accelerated from just 160 in 2019 to 1,200 in 2024. Add plug-in hybrids, and the 2024 total approaches 2,000.

For South Africans, the cost of electric vehicles is a factor. That and anxiety about there being enough charging stations. Eighty to ninety percent of charging takes place at home, says Parmar. Plus, there are 385 charging stations in South Africa at present, according to Plugshare. So, that road trip from Jo’burg to Durban is doable; our highways are covered.