https://en.sputniknews.africa/20261113/built-by-africa-for-africa-south-africas-electric-safari-vehicle-changing-game-drives--1090899761.html
Built by Africa, for Africa: South Africa's Electric Safari Vehicle Changing Game Drives
Built by Africa, for Africa: South Africa's Electric Safari Vehicle Changing Game Drives
Sputnik Africa
Tourism in Africa has been criticised as extractive—wealth flowing out of the continent, technologies imported from elsewhere, solutions designed for someone... 13.11.2026, Sputnik Africa
2026-11-13T09:08+0100
2026-11-13T09:08+0100
2026-11-13T08:52+0100
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Built by Africa, for Africa: South Africa's Electric Safari Vehicle Changing Game Drives
Sputnik Africa
Tourism in Africa has been criticised as extractive—wealth flowing out of the continent, technologies imported from elsewhere, solutions designed for someone else's context. Thula ESV—South Africa's first electric safari vehicle—challenges that narrative. It asks a bold question: what happens when Africans build for Africa?
There is a sound that has defined the African safari for generations: the low, steady rumble of a diesel engine carrying guests into the bush. It is the soundtrack of discovery—but also of dependence. The fuel is imported. The vehicle technology is imported. Even the design assumptions often come from somewhere else. South Africa's new Thula ESV interrupts that soundtrack. The name means "be quiet" in Nguni languages, and the silence is intentional. This is the country's first electric safari vehicle designed from the ground up for African conditions—a vehicle built in Africa, for Africans. And that distinction matters far more than the novelty of a quiet game drive.On the surface, the Thula ESV is a story about tourism and technology. Beneath it, it is a story about sovereignty—about who designs, who builds, and who benefits. This is the heart of the conversation in this episode of Pan-African Frequency, featuring Professor Peet van der Merwe, a senior lecturer and researcher in Tourism Management at North-West University, South Africa. He described how this invention is a turning point for tourism and the future of game drives in South Africa, and the continent at large.To listen to the whole episode, tune in to the Pan-African Frequency podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, and Podcast Addict► Check out all the episodes of Pan-African Frequency
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Built by Africa, for Africa: South Africa's Electric Safari Vehicle Changing Game Drives
Tourism in Africa has been criticised as extractive—wealth flowing out of the continent, technologies imported from elsewhere, solutions designed for someone else's context. Thula ESV—South Africa's first electric safari vehicle—challenges that narrative. It asks a bold question: what happens when Africans build for Africa?
There is a sound that has defined the African safari for generations: the low, steady rumble of a diesel engine carrying guests into the bush. It is the soundtrack of discovery—but also of dependence. The fuel is imported. The vehicle technology is imported. Even the design assumptions often come from somewhere else. South Africa's new Thula ESV interrupts that soundtrack. The name means "be quiet" in Nguni languages, and the silence is intentional. This is the country's first electric safari vehicle designed from the ground up for African conditions—a vehicle built in Africa, for Africans. And that distinction matters far more than the novelty of a quiet game drive.
On the surface, the Thula ESV is a story about tourism and technology. Beneath it, it is a story about sovereignty—about who designs, who builds, and who benefits. This is the heart of the conversation in this episode of Pan-African Frequency, featuring Professor Peet van der Merwe, a senior lecturer and researcher in Tourism Management at North-West University, South Africa. He described how this invention is a turning point for tourism and the future of game drives in South Africa, and the continent at large.
“It's built for Africa, for African decisions, which is very important for us. We in Africa might be in a position to know better what is suitable for us. In this case, this vehicle was built for the African conditions. This is a step forward in the industry for us that we have entrepreneurs in South Africa and in Africa that are able to do these things. This also shows you the skills set that we have in Africa and South Africa to come up with innovative ideas and innovative developments [...] in the foreseeable future, if we give some time, we might be able to build our own batteries here. We've got the skills, we've got the people to build it. It's sometimes about cost. Sometimes it's cheaper to import something to build it here in South Africa or in Africa. And that might be the reason why we do this. But at the end of the day, it's still developed in Africa. It's built in Africa, which is important for our image as well,” the professor noted.
To listen to the whole episode, tune in to the
Pan-African Frequency podcast, brought to you by
Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of Pan-African Frequency 
