As international oil prices surge past $100 a barrel following the escalating conflict in the Middle East, South Africa is bracing for what economists warn could be the highest single-month fuel price increase in the country’s history.
“With early projections from the Central Energy Fund pointing to increases in the region of R4,27 for 93 Unleaded, R4,74 for 95 Unleaded, and R7,83 for diesel in April, the economic argument for Electric Vehicles (EVs) has never been stronger,” says Joshua Harvey, CEO of Specno.
In his new capacity as Specno CEO, Harvey recently oversaw the execution of a custom-built, end-to-end digital platform developed by Specno for a major national EV charging network, which is aiming to operate across hundreds of locations in South Africa. The project offered a clear view into a market that is evolving rapidly and now entering its next phase of maturity.
“South Africa’s EV ecosystem has grown quickly, and much of the early technology was designed to establish access and reliability. Now, the opportunity exists to refine that experience for the local user, dramatically improving the experience and making the transition to EVs more accessible,” Harvey explains.
Many of the foundational platforms originally used in South Africa to locate charging ports had been adapted from international markets, particularly Europe, where EV adoption is more mature and the infrastructure landscape is fundamentally different.
“In Europe, the challenge is abundance. There are more chargers than a user needs, so platforms are designed to filter and optimise choice,” says Harvey. “In South Africa, the context is different. Availability of charging stations is more limited, journeys are more deliberate, and user behaviour is not yet habitual. That requires a different kind of design thinking.”
As the industry grows, so too do user expectations. Early systems prioritised functionality, ensuring that drivers could locate and access charging points reliably. The next step, which Specno’s specialists focused on under Harvey’s senior oversight, is about removing friction from the experience itself.
“This includes simplifying payment journeys, reducing the number of steps required to initiate a charge, and ensuring users do not have to navigate multiple systems or pre-funded wallets,” he adds.
“None of these systems were built incorrectly. They were built for a different moment in time,” Harvey notes. “But as adoption grows, the expectation shifts. When you are asking someone to move away from a deeply ingrained behaviour like refuelling with petrol, the alternative has to feel effortless.”
He argues that EV adoption is not driven by infrastructure alone. It is also shaped by how intuitive, seamless and accessible the experience feels in everyday use.
“Conversion is a product problem,” Harvey says. “And in the EV space, that product is not just the car or the charger. It is the entire journey around it.”