Kemet Automotive, a pan-African electric car manufacturer, has formed a formal partnership with the Africa Design School (ADS) in Cotonou, Benin, with the goal of expediting skilled talent development in Africa's expanding mobility industry.
ADS is dedicated to preparing designers to fulfil the demands of the African continent.
The partnership comes as Kemet prepares to begin manufacturing of its first line of locally designed electric vehicles (EVs), after receiving more than 10,000 pre-orders from clients across the continent, according to the company.
According to the firm, the demand shows a rising trust in African-made clean mobility solutions.
Kemet is positioning itself to compete worldwide from within Africa, building EVs designed specifically for the continent's infrastructure and topography.
According to Nissi Ogulu, co-founder of Kemet Automotive: “The ADS partnership will support that ambition by training young designers and engineers, opening technical career pathways, and embedding design principles that reflect African culture and identity.
“The initiative will form the backbone of a long-term talent pipeline required to grow a sustainable automotive ecosystem across African markets."
The collaboration will also contribute to broader industrialisation aims by lowering dependency on imported vehicles and retaining more value inside domestic supply chains.
Kemet's vehicle development strategy, known internally as Functional Sculpting, emphasises durability and performance while combining cultural aesthetics.
These attributes, according to the business, position their EVs to serve an African urban population expected to exceed 1.4 billion by 2050, resulting in exponential demand for affordable and sustainable mobility.
As Kemet approaches full-scale manufacturing, it is seeking investors and industry partners who share its vision of establishing a clean mobility economy across the continent.
According to the firm, the ADS relationship highlights how local innovation and staff development can strengthen Africa's position in the future of global automotive production.
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