Keynote address by Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile at the Smarter Mobility Africa Summit Gala Dinner at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg

Programme Director, Oliver Dickson;
Premier of Gauteng Province, Panyaza Lesufi;
MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela;
The MEC for Mobility in the Western Cape, Ricardo Mckenzie; 
Representatives from the transport sector, SANTACO and GNTA;
The CEO of SASOL, Fleetwood Grobler;
Director General of Gauteng, HODs and Senior government officials;
Ladies and gentlemen,

I want to congratulate the province for convening the Smarter Mobility Africa summit. Premier, such gatherings demonstrate how you, and your team comprehend the province's role in the country, the continent, and across the world.

I am honoured that you have invited me to come home to participate and share some of my views on this crucial topic. Indeed, it always feels good to be home. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, some of the megatrends currently affecting the world today, which I believe will be central to the discussions throughout this conference, include - globalisation, inequality, environmental crises, demographic changes and the need to transform economies, especially in the global south.  

According to the UN, there are 7.7 billion people in the world and projects that this figure is expected to rise to 8.5 billion by 2030, and 9.7 billion people by 2050. 

We find it significant that of the 2 billion people who will be added to the population, half will come from Africa. In addition, the African Development Bank Group predicts that by 2019, cities would account for 80 per cent of the continent's population increase.  
With the population growth, however, is accompanied by an increase in inequality, which poses a serious threat to global development, peace, and security.

In light of the accelerated urbanisation expected over the next few years, governments, and cities in particular, must prioritise urban planning policies that are responsive to these changes.  This includes investing in infrastructure and network industries to ensure a sustainable ecosystem that promotes the quality of life for all people.

Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no doubt that the need for the transportation of both people and goods will always exist and is, in most aspects, one of the few ways in which economic development occurs. 

As we all know, the African continent has undergone significant changes. Equally, with the rise of rapid technological breakthroughs, there is now the opportunity to revolutionise transport networks in a way never thought possible. 

To enhance the efficacy and sustainability of our transport systems, we must seize the opportunities presented by technology. 

This is because major cities, such as Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg, face significant challenges in heavy congestion, overcrowded public transport systems, poor traffic management, and overall inefficient public transportation systems. 

It is evident that with all the advancements and investments we have made thus far, as a continent, we need more imaginative mobility solutions that can leverage technology to optimise routes, reduce traffic congestion, and use data to provide real-time information to commuters. 

This can greatly enhance our transportation networks' overall efficiency and reliability and will go a long way towards our development aspirations and efforts. In addition, smart mobility solutions can have a significantly positive impact on the environment. 

As a continent, we are in a position to shape and transform the sector, and engagements such as this one provide valuable contributions to the pursuit of our developmental goals and commitment to a more sustainable future. 

This brings us to the topic of battery electric vehicles and clean energy sources. By transitioning to electric vehicles and adopting clean energy sources, we can reduce carbon emissions and contribute towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.    

As government, we remain committed to supporting and investing in the expansion and development of new and existing manufacturing plants to support the production of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) components and to grow the level of employment in the automotive sector.

Investing in the NEV also contributes to the decarbonisation of road transport. It is our moral and environmental duty to address this issue by investing in sustainable transport solutions, such as electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, promoting public transit, and adopting renewable energy sources for transportation. 

To support the efforts towards a transition to more energy-efficient transportation, the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, an initiative of the African Development Bank Group, is committing 1 million US dollars for technical assistance towards the Green Mobility Facility for Africa. It is crucial that other stakeholders, including the private sector, also commit to this transition.

Ladies and gentlemen, Smart mobility also holds immense potential for economic development in Africa in various ways, including in the digital economy that has opened up new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. 

As African countries embrace smart mobility solutions, local start-ups and businesses will emerge with great potential to thrive. Reinforcing this evolution can lead to increased job creation, skills development, and new economic opportunities across the continent.

However, for smart mobility to succeed in Africa, we must address certain challenges, particularly accelerating investment in critical infrastructure and digital solutions. This includes, for example, investment towards building charging stations for electric vehicles, expanding broadband connectivity, and developing intelligent transportation systems. 

Governments, private sector organisations, and international partners must, therefore, come together to invest in the necessary infrastructure.

Smarter Mobility Africa is yet another opportunity to collaborate with various stakeholders to build a better and smarter transport system that will assist grow the economy, create jobs and improve people’s quality of life.

That being said, there is a need for policy and regulatory frameworks to support the growth of smarter mobility solutions. Governments should, therefore, develop clear guidelines and regulations to ensure a safe and reliable transportation system. 

This includes regulations on data privacy, cybersecurity, and standards for electric vehicles. We must make it our responsibility to establish a harmonised approach to smarter mobility across Africa.

Within the framework of the South African Government, the notion of smarter mobility has been embraced to align with ongoing worldwide discussions regarding the trajectory of mobility and climate change. 

As we progress through industrialisation, urbanisation, and globalisation, the importance of mobility to our survival as individuals and nations also expands. 

On this basis, the government is championing a National Transport Master Plan (NATMAP) 2050 Strategy, to establish a safe, affordable, dependable, and efficient means of transporting people and products.
 
Through the NATMAP 2050, we aim to break silo institutions and isolations by ultimately improving transport linkages with and between the more vibrant economies of the country and transforming these areas into more compelling investment propositions.

We understand that we cannot discuss the transport sector's transformation without addressing the exclusion of our youth, particularly girls and women, who continue to face devastating and discouraging unemployment and the risk of poverty and violence in our society.

As such, the South African government is invigorating the South African Network for Women in Transport (SANWIT) to break the existing barriers to entry into the sector and demystify existing myths while addressing the unique mobility needs of women and other vulnerable groups. 

We want to see women's emancipation, especially in sectors and industries historically classified as male-dominated, like the freight and logistics (including trucking), maritime and aviation sectors.

In this light, I am pleased that the re-opening of the South African branch of Women in the maritime sector in Eastern and Southern Africa (WOMESA) would be a significant boost for women in maritime. 

Ladies and gentlemen, investing in infrastructure and operational efficiencies, supported by technologies and systems to bring about efficient production and trade to boost economic growth, should be our top priority as a continent.

We should focus on developing transport systems and cities that enable individuals to conveniently reach their workplaces, access opportunities, and utilise social services catering to their needs and requirements.

It is further essential to recognise that children, women, people living with disabilities, and the elderly have different mobility needs. By focusing our investment on serving these diverse needs, we can help improve their quality of life and enable meaningful participation in society. 

For example, the Gauteng government invested in public transport infrastructure in the past few years, and this has seen a great deal of improvement in efficiencies around the movement of people in the cities through the Bus Rapid Transits, the Gautrain, Commuter Rail system, the G-Fleet and smart mobility initiatives. 

However, these systems only account for less than 30 per cent of the total public transport network, as the majority of public transport users depend on minibus taxis for their mobility needs – with the current statistics showing a possible over 70 per cent in this mode. This phenomenon cuts across the continent.

Therefore, we must reassess our approach to resolving issues pertaining to access to opportunities and social services through mobility needs.  The design of our cities and the availability of services to the people should be informed by their needs.

Coming out of this smart mobility conference, the government must develop policies and transport systems that help people get to their places of work and access opportunities and businesses. 

Ladies and gentlemen, Mobility as a service (MaaS) should also be considered a smart kind of mobility. We have witnessed an increase in online shopping and residential deliveries, changing how transport is utilised. 

This trend has been worsened by COVID-19 lockdowns and curfews.  Many advantages can be derived from this type of service, yet we have seen less of these in townships and rural communities where, in my view, it is needed the most, as these places tend to be much further away from shopping facilities.

As government, we have to support initiatives and small businesses that aim to increase mobility as a service in currently under-serviced communities. This is also yet another opportunity for those young people with the desire to start their businesses.

There may be several challenges in delivering in these areas due to many factors, including connectivity, addresses and navigation. But we urge developers and solution providers to work with the government to raise these issues so that we can collectively find solutions to help our people. 

It is anticipated that initiatives like Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement would encourage more regional connectivity and increased investments in transport infrastructure. Through the African Continental Free Trade Area, we can address the inconsistent and inefficient goods and logistics services that have long impeded intra-African trade and commerce. 

In addition, through this agreement, we will address the high customs delay times, lack of paved roadways on which goods can be conveyed, and more significant loss of goods due to limited cold chains compared to other global regions. 

We, the African continent, must weigh the possible advantages of this Free Trade Area agreement for expanding our transport industry and explore investment prospects to assist us in advancing economically. Financial support through various institutions exists to make this possible, and we must make the most of these opportunities to develop our countries and regions. 

Let me conclude by encouraging you to use this conference to also deliberate on and address - the need for financial inclusion and mobility of the poor, localisation and the development of new black industrialists, and the skills of the future for the automotive industry in our continent. 

The potential for smarter mobility to overhaul transport networks in South Africa and Africa is enormous, with far-reaching positive consequences for everyone involved. 

Together, as governments, the private sector and citizens, we must commit to building a transport system that supports the growth that Africa aspires for and transforming mobility systems such that they improve people’s quality of life.

Thank you for your commitment to developing and improving transport as a sector and vehicle for change. 

I look forward to productive discussions and collaborations in the coming days.

Thank you!