Ngwenya Border, Eswatini — Uganda’s Kiira Motors Corporation has reached yet another major milestone on its groundbreaking Africa Electric Expedition, arriving in the Kingdom of Eswatini after covering 5,377 kilometres—equivalent to 41.36% of the journey from Kampala to Cape Town.
The team’s arrival at Ngwenya Border marked Day 17 of the expedition, during which the 13-metre Kayoola electric coach has demonstrated remarkable endurance across multiple terrains and climates. According to Kiira Motors, the coach has so far helped avoid 2,481.15 kilograms of carbon emissions and consumed 4,511 kWh of energy at an efficiency rate of 0.84 kWh per kilometre.
After completing a memorable 99-kilometre run through Eswatini, the state-owned automaker praised the Kingdom for showing a strong commitment to Africa’s electric-mobility future. “The Kingdom has shown its commitment to Africa’s e-mobility future,” the team posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account under the hashtag #FromThePearlToTheCape.
Eswatini’s Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Tholani Mkhaliphi, commended Uganda for proving that the continent can build advanced mobility solutions locally. He urged African stakeholders to “move from discussion to implementation” to accelerate homegrown innovation.
The Eswatini leg follows a stretch through South Africa, where the Kiira Motors team travelled from the Tlokweng Border through Pretoria and Johannesburg, covering 396 km while engaging with stakeholders advancing clean-mobility initiatives.
Earlier this week, the expedition also saluted Botswana after an intense 944-kilometre journey from the rivers of Kazungula through Nata, Francistown, and Gaborone. “What an epic journey… Thank you Botswana!” the company said.
As the Kayoola e-coach continues its continental trek, Kiira Motors has highlighted growing collaboration with partners across Africa. In South Africa, telecom giant MTN hosted the Ugandan delegation and held discussions on connectivity, Industry 4.0, and strategic public–private partnerships.
The expedition has so far crossed five borders and surpassed the 5,000-kilometre mark, which Kiira Motors celebrated as proof that “Uganda’s innovation can go the distance, across the entire continent.”
Kiira Motors representatives also appeared on Paul Ndiho’s Different Perspectives, where they discussed the vision, challenges, and significance of the Africa Electric Expedition in shaping the future of e-mobility on the continent.
With nearly half of the journey completed, the team is now preparing for the next stages of the expedition as the Kayoola e-coach pushes further south toward Cape Town — a symbolic demonstration of Africa’s capacity to build and sustain advanced electric-vehicle technology.
