A partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Roads and Transport and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is driving the Smarter Mobility Africa Summit's (SMA) mission of unlocking full economic, social, and environmental opportunities in Africa. 

This October, African Mobility Month and South African October Transport Month will be marked by a full-scale in-person event covering every aspect of the mobility industry, from public transport to electric vehicles & battery tech, and from Data, Mapping, and GIS to Urban Logistics

The SMA summit, which will take place at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria from 5 - 7 October, also features a collaboration between Smarter Mobility Africa and Arigo Investments to showcase the latest start-ups in the mobility industry. Over 50 start-ups will have a chance to exhibit at the Arigo Startup Village free of charge. 

By connecting start-ups with a global and local audience of businesses, investors, governments, and media, the SMA summit is Africa's platform for start-ups in mobility. Those who wish to grow their business and create jobs will find this opportunity to be incredibly beneficial. Investors seeking the next big deal, businesses on the lookout for innovative teams or solutions to partner with or acquire, the media trying to communicate the future with their audience, and Government looking for the most effective on-the-ground solutions to mobility problems will be in attendance. Therefore, the SMA Summit 2022 is a must-attend if you're a mobility start-up.

Gauteng government has its eyes set on changing mobility patterns

Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo says technology plays an instrumental role in modernising public transport systems, including taxis. This, however, cannot be accomplished without partnerships with the private sector. The provincial department launched its vision for growing Gauteng's economy and changing mobility patterns in 2020. “The Smarter Mobility Africa summit is a great opportunity to learn about electric power technologies, digitalisation, and automation. We are motivated to transform lives and thrive through these technologies.” He continues, “The goal is to make mobility convenient by integrating public transportation and building smart infrastructure that uses technology to create a smart transportation network.”

Climate change pressures are expected to be reduced by smarter mobility, says Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. “The World Bank suggests that transport in the near future will be characterised by being ‘connected, data-driven, shared, on demand, electric and highly automated’. These changes in transport technologies are consequently in tandem with the notion of global climate change, as a consequence of the combustion of fossil fuels by most vehicles.” He continues: “This remains a major environmental challenge currently facing Southern Africa and the world at large. The large-scale combustion of fossil fuels also contributes to the change in the composition of the earth's atmosphere. The result is a general process of global warming and, if continued unattended, will lead to significant changes in rainfall patterns and frequent, extreme weather events.”

According to Ben Pullen, Founder, and Chairman of Smarter Mobility Africa, the three-day summit will help facilitate the integration of direct and indirect mobility stakeholders. Moreover, the audience will be exposed to an immersive world of mobility ideas and innovations, and attract and drive investments in Africa for startups, SMEs, corporations, and governments. “The event also presents an opportunity to share information on success and failure in the transport sector across Africa and worldwide. The goal is to inspire the continent to build an even smarter mobility Africa and make this the best decade of mobility and life enhancement ever.”

Ben adds, “Throughout the world, transportation is the connector to everything. There is a real need to ensure that the way people and goods are moved is done in a smarter way to increase opportunities rather than limit them. A complete revolution in transportation has happened everywhere in the last ten years, including South Africa and Africa.”

A string of knowledgeable speakers at the summit

Some of the global speakers have been revealed for SMA summit with more announced each week, including Western Cape Minister of Mobility Daylin Mitchell; Founder of Electric Drive Africa Dr. Remeredzai Kuhudzai; Co-Founder of Mobility Centre for Africa, Victor Radebe; Chris Kost, Director of the Institute for Transport and Development Policy's African Program; Mzikhona Mgedle, the Managing Director of Langa Bicycle Hub; and Edem Foli, the Program Manager at uYilo e-mobility.

Providing a holistic view of mobility, the SMA summit which will host 1200 guests, 100 exhibitors and have 15 themes, offers a comprehensive overview of the fastest-growing industry in the world. By implementing an integrated transport system that serves everyone, the event seeks to unlock the full potential of social, environmental, and economic development in Africa. To ensure that the most relevant stakeholders are connected, it creates networking opportunities between businesses and governments to accelerate the adoption of smarter mobility solutions. 

Register to attend 

The Smarter Mobility Africa Summit 2022 will showcase groundbreaking products and services along with test drives and test rides, site visits, and a range of networking opportunities. Click here to register to attend this exciting exhibition or for information on the Start-Up Village.