How electric tricycles are transforming women's lives in rural Zimbabwe
In rural Zimbabwe, a quiet revolution is underway—one that is changing the lives of women, even those who do not own electric tricycles but benefit from their use.
Anna Bhobho, a 31-year-old housewife from Wedza District, was once a silent observer in her home, excluded from financial and family decision-making in a deeply patriarchal society. Today, she is a driver of change in her village, thanks to an electric tricycle she owns.
“My husband now looks up to me to take care of a large chunk of expenses, including buying furniture and other assets,” Bhobho said at a market where she delivers crops for farmers in her community.
The tricycles, called Hamba—meaning "go" in Ndebele—are powered by solar-charged lithium-ion batteries. Mobility for Africa, a local start-up, piloted the project in 2019 by leasing the vehicles to groups of women for $15 a month. Today, women like Bhobho can own them through a lease-to-purchase program.
“I used to depend on my husband for everything, even money for bread,” she said.
Bhobho now owns land, has opened a small grocery store, is paying off a car, and has moved her children from an underfunded rural public school to a better-equipped private institution. She earns up to $300 a month, a salary comparable to that of government workers such as schoolteachers.
Beyond financial gains, she has gained self-esteem. “Even my husband and in-laws have more respect for me now. No one used to listen to me, but now I have a seat when important decisions are being made,” the mother of three said.
According to Carlin Thandi Ngandu, the community engagement coordinator for Mobility for Africa, the program aims to ensure that 70% of its beneficiaries are women in Zimbabwe.
The program involves 300 women across Zimbabwe, with only women owning and operating tricycles.
The tricycles are particularly beneficial in rural areas, as they can navigate narrow paths inaccessible to cars and reach remote homesteads and vegetable gardens. The affordability of the tricycles makes them accessible to locals, allowing them to contribute to their families and communities.
However, women face challenges such as rough terrain and resistance from men who struggle with seeing women lead in traditionally male-dominated spaces.
“Some men don’t like seeing women in charge, but we are proving that we can contribute just as much, if not more, to our families and communities,” says Bhobho.
Beyond business, the tricycles are revolutionising healthcare access, particularly for women and children. Josephine Nyevhe, a volunteer community health worker, uses her tricycle to bring medical services closer to rural families and serves as a village ambulance.
“I am on 24-hour standby. I get calls during odd hours and have to rush people to the hospital. Sometimes it’s a pregnant woman who would have otherwise given birth at home in unsafe conditions,” she said.
