Spiro and Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP) have launched a programme in Rwanda to help women enter the electric mobility sector through motorcycle training, financing and business support.
The Women in E-Mobility programme began in October 2026 with 50 women starting training under a pilot targeting 500 participants in Rwanda. The partners aim to support 5,000 women across Africa by 2030.
Participants will receive motorcycle riding and road safety training, financial literacy, digital skills and entrepreneurship support. They will also have access to financing options, including lease-to-own arrangements, to acquire Spiro electric motorcycles and use its battery-swapping network.
The programme will connect participants with ride-hailing, delivery and logistics platforms to help them find customers and establish businesses.
The initiative seeks to address the low participation of women in the transport sector. According to the programme announcement, women account for 4% of transport workers in Rwanda. A 2025 study in Kigali found that 47.7% of women surveyed would consider working as motorcycle taxi drivers.
“Electric mobility is creating new economic opportunities across Africa, and we want more women to be part of this transformation,” said Anant Badjatya, Group CEO of Spiro.
Badjatya said the programme would equip women with the skills and resources needed to become professional riders, build businesses and generate income.
ESP Co-founder and CEO Eric Kacou said access to motorcycles alone would not be enough to help women establish successful businesses.
“Building a successful business also requires skills, financing, customers and ongoing support,” Kacou said.
Rwanda was selected for the pilot because of its growing electric mobility sector and Spiro’s existing operations in the country, including motorcycle assembly and battery-swapping infrastructure.
The partners will assess participants’ progress, income generation and business performance before expanding the programme to other African markets where Spiro operates between 2027 and 2030.
Spiro and ESP are seeking partnerships with development finance institutions, impact investors, governments and commercial organisations to support the expansion through financing, training and access to business opportunities.
Spiro says it operates in seven African countries, with more than 156,000 electric motorcycles and over 2,500 battery-swapping stations. The company also has assembly operations in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda.
ESP says it has supported more than 12,900 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises across 28 African countries and helped unlock US$104.5 million in access to finance.
The programme will test whether combining electric motorcycle access with business training and commercial partnerships can help more women establish sustainable businesses in Africa’s growing electric mobility sector.
