Wahu Mobility Aims to Transform Ghana's Delivery Sector with Electric Bicycles
- Valeria Labi, a British-born entrepreneur, has launched Ghana's first electric bike aimed at delivery riders.
- This initiative seeks to replace expensive and polluting petrol bikes with eco-friendly alternatives.
- By promoting electric bikes, Labi hopes to reduce carbon emissions and provide a sustainable mode of transport for delivery services in Ghana.
Valerie Labi, co-founder and CEO of Wahu Mobility, is tackling the challenge of encouraging Ghana's delivery riders to transition from traditional petrol motorcycles to the company’s newly developed electric bicycles. After four years of innovation, Wahu has successfully designed and licensed its own ebike and established an assembly plant in Accra. With 300 delivery riders currently using Wahu ebikes, the company is poised to capitalize on Africa's burgeoning last-mile delivery market, projected to reach $2.3 billion by 2030. Labi envisions producing 50,000 Wahu ebikes annually, contributing to significant carbon reductions in a country where the average vehicle age is 14 years. While on a trade mission in the UK to attract investment in Ghana's small and medium-sized enterprises, Labi highlighted the dual functionality of Wahu's offerings. The company has developed a technology platform that not only tracks the ebikes but also measures carbon savings, which can be converted into carbon credits. Operating across eight regions in Ghana, Wahu has already served over 100,000 people. Labi notes the increasing presence of women in leadership roles within Ghana's banking and telecommunications sectors, emphasizing the potential for female empowerment through entrepreneurship. As Wahu prepares to finalize an $8 million funding round, the investment will enhance production capabilities at its assembly plant, which opened in February, and support the rollout of its innovative ebikes designed to navigate Ghana's challenging road conditions.