NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 28 – Spiro and Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP) have started training 50 women in Rwanda to become electric motorcycle riders, with plans to enrol 500 women in the country before expanding the programme to other African markets.

The 12-month programme will train participants in motorcycle riding, road safety, financial literacy and business management. It will also offer financing options, including lease-to-own arrangements, to help women acquire electric motorcycles.

Participants will be linked to ride-hailing, delivery and logistics platforms to help them find work and customers.Spiro and ESP plan to reach 5,000 women across Africa by 2030.

The programme comes as women remain underrepresented in Rwanda’s transport sector, accounting for about 4% of workers, according to the companies. A 2025 study in Kigali found that 47.7% of women surveyed would consider working as motorcycle taxi drivers.

Spiro Group Chief Executive Officer Anant Badjatya said the programme would help women enter the electric mobility business, while ESP chief executive Eric Kacou said participants would need access to financing, customers and business skills to run their businesses.

Rwanda was chosen for the initial programme because Spiro already operates motorcycle assembly facilities and battery-swapping stations in the country.

The partners plan to assess participants’ income and business performance before extending the programme to other countries where Spiro operates between 2027 and 2030.