Road to Africa emblem with a city skyline, a sunburst background, and a tree silhouette, with a lightning bolt symbol.

Driving the Future of Africa’s Electric Highways

Trans-African Highway network map, 9 intercontinental highways.

Trans-African Highways:

  1. Cairo-Dakar

  2. Algiers–Lagos

  3. Tripoli–Cape Town

  4. Cairo-Cape Town

  5. Dakar-Ndjamena

  6. Ndjamena-Djibouti

  7. Dakar-Lagos

  8. Lagos-Mombasa

  9. Beira-Lobito

Road to Africa is a pan-African exploration and execution platform ideated and driven by Thought Leader, created to demonstrate how clean transport and renewable energy can redefine movement across the continent. The initiative brings together stakeholders from across the e-mobility ecosystem and focuses on the movement of people and goods along Africa’s critical trade routes.

Road to Africa was launched with the successful first chapter, Road to Addis, the continent’s first fully electric cross-border expedition between Nairobi and Addis Ababa. Through subsequent electric journeys linking major African cities, Road to Africa documents real-world conditions, people, and progress shaping Africa’s transition toward connected, sustainable mobility.

Ideation

Three Thought Leader production members having a meeting at a table in a high-rise office with large windows and city views, smiling and engaged. Thougth Leader Nairobi Office.

Driving Conversations to Action

man and a woman, engaged in a discussion or brainstorming session. They are standing in front of a glass board with writing on it. The man holds a marker and looks directly at the camera, while the woman, wearing glasses and a brown hoodie, is writing on the glass board and smiling.

Elevating a Leapfrogging Africa

Thought Leader crew working in a garage, one seated at a desk with a laptop and the other standing nearby, looking at a device.

Understanding the Africa E-Mobility Journey

Paul Kidero, Thought Leader Kenya Lead smiling while holding a yellow microphone at an event.

Exploring the Trade Corridors’ Momentum

Mikkel Becker-Aakervik talking with a woman with braided hair and glasses at an outdoor event surrounded by green foliage.

Driving the Movement

At its core, Road to Africa is a pan-African research and storytelling initiative advancing the electrification of trade and transport corridors. It brings together filmmakers, engineers, and innovators to document progress and accelerate collaboration across government and industry.

Each expedition operates as both a mobile research lab and a public demonstration platform, translating technical realities into shared understanding. The mission now scales into a multi-year continental effort aiming to support the electrification of over 15,000 kilometers of trade routes by 2030.

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