Connecting African and Nordic Stakeholders

Double Feather Partners participated in the Nordic-Africa EV Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, represented by Albert Mbithi. The summit brought together stakeholders from Africa and the Nordic region to explore opportunities to accelerate the development of electric mobility across African markets.

Discussions focused on several issues shaping the sector’s growth, including access to financing, charging infrastructure, policy coordination and battery value chains. Across these areas, a common theme emerged: the transition to electric mobility requires more than vehicle deployment. It depends on coordinated investment, appropriate technology, supportive policy frameworks and the commercial capacity to put solutions into operation.

For African markets, collaboration between international investors, technology providers, local businesses and policymakers will be important in translating the growing interest in electric mobility into sustainable commercial activity.

From Industry Discussion to Local Implementation

As part of the summit’s industry tour, Albert visited Dodai, an Ethiopian electric mobility company providing electric motorcycles and battery-swapping services. The visit offered an opportunity to observe local EV operations and gain a closer understanding of how electric mobility solutions are being introduced and adapted to the Ethiopian market.

Companies such as Dodai operate at the intersection of vehicle deployment, energy access and customer adoption. Their experience highlights the practical considerations involved in building an electric mobility ecosystem, from ensuring reliable battery access to developing service networks that can support riders over time.

These local operating models are particularly important because the conditions for electric mobility differ across African countries. Infrastructure availability, financing costs, consumer purchasing power and regulatory environments all influence which business models can succeed and how quickly they can scale.

Financing and Partnerships as Drivers of Market Growth

The summit’s discussions closely reflect the priorities of DFP’s work in Africa’s mobility sector. Through initiatives such as the Africa Mobility Innovation Fund and its corporate innovation programmes, DFP works to connect African mobility businesses with suitable capital, strategic corporate partners and opportunities to develop and scale their solutions.

Access to finance remains a critical consideration for businesses seeking to expand vehicle fleets, establish charging or battery-swapping networks and strengthen their operating infrastructure. At the same time, capital alone is rarely sufficient. Companies also need commercial partnerships, technical capabilities and local implementation support to build sustainable businesses.

This is where collaboration between African and Nordic stakeholders can create value. Nordic expertise in clean technology, energy systems and sustainable infrastructure, combined with African market knowledge and entrepreneurial execution, offers opportunities to develop solutions suited to the continent’s mobility needs.

Building on the Nordic-Africa Dialogue

DFP’s participation in the summit reflects its continued interest in strengthening cross-border investment and collaboration in Africa’s electric mobility sector. The discussions in Addis Ababa, together with the visit to Dodai, provided useful perspectives on both the strategic priorities shaping the market and the operational realities facing businesses on the ground.

As electric mobility develops across the continent, progress will depend on connecting policy ambition with investable business models and practical implementation. DFP looks forward to building on the relationships established through the summit and supporting further collaboration among African and international stakeholders.

DFP thanks the summit organisers, hosts and fellow participants for the valuable discussions and hospitality.