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The Zambian Electric Mobility Innovation Alliance (ZEMIA) has reported a 334 percent rise in electric vehicle (EV) uptake since government scrapped customs duty on the imports in January 2024.
ZEMIA co-founder and president, Kabayo Muhau, said Zambia had only 62 registered EVs in early 2024, but by the end of July 2025, the figure had climbed to 269.
He was speaking during a presentation on collaboration opportunities in the battery electric vehicle sector in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at a workshop on building the capacity of MSMEs and financial institutions in Lusaka on Thursday.
“Zambia’s EV Growth: +334 percent in Just 2 Years. That is 207 more EVs in just two years, a remarkable 334 percent growth.
“One of the biggest catalysts for this surge was the removal of all Customs Duties on EVs on 1 January 2024. Since then, we have seen annual growth of around 140–150 percent, showing how the right policy can ignite real change in the market. But this is only the beginning,” Muhau said.
Muhau added that for Zambia to fully embrace a cleaner, greener transport future, there was need to raise awareness, strengthen supportive policies, and invest in a reliable charging network to make EV ownership practical.
He, however, noted challenges in the sector which include, among others, high capital requirements, costly EV infrastructure, and borrowing rates of 25 to 45 percent, which he described as unsustainable and a major constraint to scaling up investment.
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