A three-year agreement for the rollout of electric freight operations along South Africa’s N3 corridor has been signed by Zimi Charge and Zero Carbon Holdings (Charge).
The partnership aims to accelerate electric vehicle logistics along one of South Africa’s most important transport routes.
Charge is installing a national network of off-grid, solar-powered charging stations in the country. It aims to have 120 stations nationally for charging electric passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The stations are claimed to charge an EV from 10%-80% in about 25 minutes and add to South Africa’s growing charging network, which already has several hundred public sites with GridCars and Rubicon the major players.
Zimi acts as a logistics aggregator, working with commercial fleet operators to deploy electric vehicles on fixed routes while securing reliable charging access. It bundles vehicles, energy and software in a unified lease for last-mile and long-haul operators.
Supporting Zimi’s rollout of electric delivery fleets along the N3 corridor will be two new off-grid, solar-powered Charge EV charging stations to go online in May: Charge N3 Tugela in KwaZulu-Natal and Charge N3 Roadside in the Free State. In 2025 Charge opened the country’s first EV charging station in Wolmaransstad, North West, located on the N12 at Farm Flair Deli & Grillhouse.
Under the new agreement, Zimi-operated vehicles will have reserved charging capacity of up to 500kWh per station per day, ensuring reliable energy access for electric delivery fleets. Each site will support peak charging of more than 300kW with six fast-charging connectors capable of delivering up to 600 A.
Generating power at the charging sites aims to protect fleet operators from rising electricity tariffs and volatile fuel prices while enabling more predictable operating costs. The N3 rollout forms part of Charge’s broader national deployment strategy.
Zimi CEO Michael Maas said the partnership is an important step toward scaling electric logistics in South Africa. “Reliable, always-on charging infrastructure is essential for fleet electrification. Working with Charge Holdings allows us to deploy electric delivery vehicles on one of the country’s busiest freight routes while ensuring predictable charging access and operational uptime.”
Andries Malherbe, co-founder and director of Charge, said the collaboration demonstrates how renewable charging infrastructure can support long-distance electric freight.
“By partnering with Zimi, we are demonstrating how off-grid renewable charging infrastructure can support reliable, long-distance logistics while strengthening South Africa’s energy resilience,” he said.
“By working with Zimi’s logistics partners we can ensure that our infrastructure is supported by consistent commercial demand from fleet operators alongside the growing passenger EV market.
“This strengthens the long-term viability of the charging network while helping accelerate the shift to cleaner transport along one of the country’s most important trade corridors.”
