Ghanaian-Founded eWAKA Wins Global Award for Africa's Electric Mobility Revolution

A significant milestone for African entrepreneurship came this week with the announcement that eWAKA, an electric mobility platform operating across East Africa, has been selected as a 2026 Cartier Women's Initiative Fellow. The recognition underscores the growing global attention on homegrown solutions to Africa's transport and environmental challenges, and offers lessons relevant to Ghana's own struggles with urban congestion and emissions.

eWAKA's Co-founder and CEO Céleste Tchetgen Vogel, originally from Cameroon, was chosen from international applicants to represent the Anglophone and Lusophone Africa category. The company operates electric motorcycles and cargo bikes in Kenya and Rwanda, with ambitious expansion plans into Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. What sets eWAKA apart is its integrated model: it provides not just vehicles, but affordable ownership financing, battery-swapping infrastructure, and software to coordinate deliveries and fleet operations.

The Scale and Impact So Far

The numbers demonstrate real momentum. eWAKA now operates nearly 1,500 active riders across Kenya and Rwanda, has completed over one million deliveries, and has onboarded more than 550 vendors onto its merchant platform. Riders have collectively earned approximately Ksh 25 million (roughly US$190,000), a significant jump from the previous year. Beyond income, the company reports avoiding over 3,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions through its clean mobility operations.

Perhaps most notably, eWAKA has created over 1,500 jobs, with more than 85% of its riders aged 18 to 30—a demographic particularly relevant to African economies struggling with youth unemployment. The company is also deliberately woman-centred, with women working as riders, vendors, and operational agents throughout its network.

Why It Matters for Ghana

Ghana faces mounting urban transport challenges. Accra and Kumasi are increasingly congested, with informal last-mile delivery dominated by motorbikes that contribute to air pollution and lack safety standards or rider protections. Ghana's National Climate Action Plan commits to reducing transport emissions, yet practical, scalable solutions remain limited.

eWAKA's model offers a blueprint: by combining electric vehicles, affordable financing (a critical barrier in developing markets), and software-enabled coordination, the company has created a system where riders transition from informal to semi-formal employment with measurable income and asset ownership. This addresses multiple Ghanaian policy priorities simultaneously—job creation, emissions reduction, and formalisation of the informal economy.

Vogel's recognition by Cartier, a major international platform, also signals that African-led mobility solutions are attracting global capital and credibility. Ghana's tech and startup ecosystem, whilst growing, could benefit from similar visibility and support for homegrown logistics and mobility innovations.

The Cartier Women's Initiative, established in 2006, has supported over 520 entrepreneurs globally through financial backing, networking, and leadership development. Vogel's selection places her in a community of impact entrepreneurs and opens pathways to international funding and partnerships that could accelerate eWAKA's regional expansion—potentially into West Africa.

For Ghana specifically, the demonstration effect is valuable: it shows that African entrepreneurs can build globally competitive solutions to local problems, and that international recognition and investment are available to those with viable business models and genuine social impact. Whether eWAKA eventually reaches Ghana or not, its success strengthens the case for similar ventures in the region.