Winner

Award:
Powering Futures in Clean Energy
Area of Work:
Renewable Energy
Region: Africa
Awards Year: The 2024
Supported by:

Gogo Electric’s motorbikes are greening travel in Uganda – and the company’s focus on skills and training is helping it zoom ahead.

This includes a big effort to help its engineers and technicians get to grips with new sustainable technology. Courses cover how to safely convert bikes to an electric power supply, and how to maintain the bikes and their batteries. Many trainees are employed at the company’s swap stations, where self-employed electric motorbike drivers can quickly switch run-down batteries for a fully charged replacement.

The company also offers a detailed training programme for its managers, to help them succeed in this fast-evolving sector. Drivers of the bikes are not go staff, but the company offers them training too. This covers the technical features of the bikes they lease from Gogo, but also financial literacy, so they can take out and manage the affordable loan needed to get access to the bikes.

The company is committed to supporting women into the workforce. Practical steps include recruiting woman trainers to inspire female trainees, and offering childcare on-site during training sessions.

Many of Gogo’s vehicles are hitting the road in the capital, Kampala, whose streets are used by 1 million motorbikes. The switch to electric vehicles will be a major creator of green jobs in the years ahead.

Why is Ashden boosting this solution?

Gogo’s enormous ambition impressed our staff and judges. The company aims to quickly boosts its impact by working in partnership, and is looking to expand across Africa.

Its inclusive approach to training and career development sets it apart from others too. Across the renewable energy sector, the shortage of women in technical and managerial roles is a major problem. Without change, a just transition to a sustainable future is impossible. A pro-active approach – like the one taken by Gogo Electric – is essential.

For more information on GoGo Electric, click here.

Check out the rest of our fantastic winners from the 2024 Ashden Awards here.

Collection of photos of the 2024 Ashden Award winner GoGo Electric. Starting at the top a man is holding an electric bike. Below on the left-hand side are two men working on a motorcycle. On the right-hand side is a GoGo electric driving swapping a battery. Below is a woman smiling at the camera. Below on the left-hand side is a man sitting on his electric bike outside a building. On the right-hand side is a worker maintaining a battery with a drill.
Starting at the top Sowedi Kaziro working in the assembling and production Unit at GOGO, in Nakawa, Uganda. On the right and left-hand side is the battery swapping process illustrated at one of GOGO Electric’s swapping centers. Below is Linnet Kusiima, one of the young women working GOGO Electric’s battery department. Below on the left-hand side is Amon Mugisha, a maintenance manager at GOGO Electric showcasing the GOGO battery-powered motorcycle. On the right-hand side is Paul Kazooba, a line supervisor in the battery maintenance department at one of GOGO’s sites.

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