Kenya's EV Charging Gamble: Chinese Hardware, African Roads, Local Solutions

China is shaping the technology behind Africa's EV transition — but how can African companies build their own charging infrastructure around it?

In this episode, we speak with Tony Gathecha, Managing Director of SupaChaja, a Nairobi-based EV charging company building a charging network designed for Kenya's growing electric vehicle market.

SupaChaja began its journey in 2023 by developing a software platform that allows drivers to locate, use and pay for charging, before expanding into EV charging hardware and infrastructure. Much of that hardware comes from China, which dominates global EV and charging-equipment manufacturing.

But the conversation goes beyond simply importing Chinese technology. We explore how SupaChaja is trying to adapt Chinese-made charging equipment to Kenyan needs, including M-Pesa payments, local connectivity, software interoperability and different EV charging standards.

Topics discussed:

• China's role in global EV and charging-equipment manufacturing
• Why the majority of SupaChaja's charging hardware comes from China
• Chinese EV charging standards and the GBT ecosystem
• Whether EV charging could eventually move toward a universal connector
• Chinese technology, quality, safety and cost
• The challenge of moving from imported equipment to local assembly and manufacturing
• How Kenyan policy and taxation could encourage local EVSE production
• Why SupaChaja is focusing on passenger EVs rather than Kenya's much larger electric two-wheeler market 
• Kenya's special EV electricity tariff 
• Chinese investment and potential funding opportunities for African e-mobility

The conversation also examines a bigger question: Does Africa have to choose between Chinese, European and American EV technologies, or can African markets develop their own standards and infrastructure around the technologies available to them?