Fuel Shocks, EV Demand, and the Infrastructure Gap: Insights from CHARGE

Queues at filling stations. Diesel shortages across the country. Sharp fuel price increases forcing households and businesses to rethink transport costs in real time.

In a recent article, Andries Malherbe, Co-Founder of Zero Carbon Charge, reflects on how these recurring disruptions are accelerating a structural shift already underway in South Africa’s transport economy.
Read the full article here

From Price Shock to Behaviour Change

According to CHARGE, the impact of fuel volatility is no longer theoretical.

• Logistics operators are reassessing cost structures
• Fleet economics are being reworked
• Consumers are increasingly considering electric vehicles

What has changed is not just awareness but timing. The question is no longer whether to transition, but when.

For operators running fixed national routes, the shift is becoming a matter of simple economics: replacing a volatile, globally priced input with a more predictable, locally generated energy source.

Why Infrastructure Is the Constraint

As CHARGE highlights, vehicle adoption alone does not solve the problem.

An EV ecosystem that depends on the national grid remains exposed to:

• Rising electricity tariffs
• Supply constraints
• Ongoing grid instability

The transition only becomes viable at scale when the charging infrastructure is:

• Off-grid
• Powered by renewable energy
• Independent of existing system constraints

This is the model CHARGE is building: electricity is generated on-site using solar power and stored in batteries, and delivered directly to end users.

A Narrative Reflected Across the Market

This shift is not happening in isolation.
Recent coverage in Business Day highlights how fuel price shocks are accelerating EV interest, while reporting also points to increasing focus on electrifying logistics corridors and building national charging infrastructure.
At the same time, Engineering News has covered ongoing policy and infrastructure developments shaping the EV charging landscape.

From Insight to Implementation

As the economic case strengthens, the constraint becomes clear: infrastructure must be built ahead of demand.

CHARGE has already begun this process, with operational and in-development sites forming part of a broader national rollout strategy.

Mesh is currently working with CHARGE on a private placement available to qualified investors, supporting the continued development of this infrastructure platform.

Join the Investor Session

For those interested in understanding the opportunity in more detail, CHARGE is hosting a focused investor session covering demand, rollout, and valuation.

📅 Wednesday, 8 April 2026
🕚 11:00 – 12:00
🌐 Live session with Q&A
👉 Register for the webinar here