Josephine Nyevhe, a volunteer village health worker, conducts weekly visits on her electric tricycle in Hwedza Zimbabwe, Thursday, March 6 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Solar-Powered Tricycles Empower Women in Rural Zimbabwe

On Mar 22, 2025

In a groundbreaking shift, women in rural Zimbabwe are gaining financial independence and social empowerment through solar-powered electric tricycles.

Anna Bhobho, a 31-year-old former housewife, now earns $300 a month transporting farm produce with her tricycle in Wedza district, about 150 km from Harare. Once excluded from financial decisions, she now owns land, and a grocery store, and covers her children’s school fees.

The Hamba tricycles, introduced by Mobility for Africa, run on solar-charged lithium-ion batteries and are available through a lease-to-own program. Over 300 women across Zimbabwe now use them for farming, transport, and even healthcare.

Josephine Nyevhe, a community health worker, uses her tricycle as an ambulance, rushing pregnant women to clinics in emergencies. Despite challenges like rough terrain and cultural resistance, the initiative is transforming lives, with a goal of ensuring 70% of beneficiaries are women.

AFRICANEWS/S.S