World Sustainable Transport Day

For transport systems in Africa to be truly sustainable, they must do more than move people and goods efficiently. They need to support livelihoods, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen connections among producers, markets, and communities. Sustainability, in this sense, is not only about technology or environmental goals but also about building systems that are socially inclusive, economically practical, and resilient to change.

By and large, smallholder farmers and informal traders continue to face immense transport challenges across Africa. Poor rural roads, unreliable vehicles, and high fuel costs make it difficult to reach markets in time or access essential inputs. While modern technologies, such as electric motorcycles, solar-powered mini-grids, and digital logistics platforms, offer promising solutions, they are not magic fixes. Many communities still lack the infrastructure, financing, and policy support needed to make these innovations viable. Sustainable transport, therefore, must combine innovation with investment in basic infrastructure and institutional capacity.

Equally important is recognising Africa’s diversity. Transport priorities differ across regions, from the dry corridors of the Sahel to the dense urban areas of Lagos and Nairobi. For some communities, the primary concern is reliable access to markets; for others, it is managing urban congestion or reducing emissions. Effective policy must therefore adapt to these local realities rather than apply a one-size-fits-all model. Development actors and governments need to work closely with communities to co-design solutions that reflect local geography, culture, and economic systems.

Inclusion is another cornerstone of sustainability. Women, youth, and persons with disabilities are often excluded from both the design and benefits of transport systems. For women, mobility can be constrained by safety concerns, social norms, or cost barriers. Therefore, making transport inclusive requires more than token participation. It demands attention to how routes are planned, how fares are set, and how safety and accessibility are ensured. When inclusion is built into design and governance, transport systems become not only fairer but also more efficient and widely used.

Resilience, too, must be redefined in context. Africa’s transport systems face growing threats from floods, droughts, and extreme weather. Building climate resilience is not just about constructing stronger roads or vehicles but also about improving planning, diversifying transport modes, and strengthening local preparedness. True resilience means helping communities recover quickly when disruptions occur, rather than assuming systems can be made entirely immune to shocks.

At the policy level, achieving sustainable transport requires long-term coordination. Governments, private investors, and local innovators each have a role to play. However, progress also depends on governance, for instance, transparency in how transport projects are funded, accountability for maintenance, and the inclusion of informal operators who already move much of Africa’s goods and people. Strengthening these relationships builds trust and ensures that sustainability is not an imported agenda but a locally owned priority.

In the end, sustainable transport in Africa is not about replacing traditional systems with modern ones, but about linking the two and building bridges between innovation and tradition, efficiency and equity, growth and groundedness. When policies acknowledge local diversity and empower communities to shape their mobility future, transport becomes both movement and a driver of inclusive, lasting development.