BasiGo
Driving Africa’s electric bus revolution through pay as you drive financing, charging depots, and fleet level service.
In African cities, buses are the backbone of daily commuting. They move millions of people every day, but diesel fleets are costly and a major source of urban pollution.
Operators want electric buses, yet upfront prices, charging complexity, and maintenance risk slow adoption.
BasiGo removes these barriers by financing the bus and bundling charging, service, and fleet software into one plan. Operators pay per kilometre, similar to a fuel bill, while BasiGo ensures charging access and vehicle uptime.
The result is simple: cleaner transport that costs less to run.
Key Numbers
Metrics reflect public disclosures up to November 2025.
Company Information
BasiGo is an electric bus company focused on mass transit in African cities. It supplies buses on a pay as you drive plan, operates charging depots, and handles maintenance and fleet monitoring. The goal is to help operators replace diesel buses without heavy upfront capital.
BasiGo approach
Leadership
| Role | Name | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Co founder and CEO | Jit Bhattacharya | Mobility and vehicle finance builder, based in Nairobi |
| Co founder | Jonathan Green | Operations and scaling background in transport and finance |
| Country teams | Kenya and Rwanda | Fleet rollout, depot operations, operator support |
How the Model Works
BasiGo bundles the bus, charging, and service into a single operating plan. Operators avoid a large purchase and instead pay a predictable fee per kilometre driven.
What BasiGo Controls
Growth and Results
BasiGo moved from pilot routes in Nairobi to a cross border fleet serving Kenya and Rwanda. In August 2025 it deployed its 100th bus, and by November 2025 it reached 114 buses in active service.
Operational Highlights
- Scale milestone: 100 buses deployed across Kenya and Rwanda by August 2025
- High utilisation: more than 7 million electric kilometres recorded
- Cleaner cities: over 3,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided through diesel replacement
Where They Work
BasiGo focuses on dense cities with strong bus routes and predictable daily demand.
| Country | Presence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | Core market | Nairobi routes and private operators. Depot network expanding |
| Rwanda | Scaling market | Kigali rollout. 100 buses planned for 2025 |
Next expansion will follow depot density and fleet demand in East Africa.
Funding History
Funding is structured to finance buses at scale and build reliable charging depots. The 2024 round combined equity and debt to support large fleet orders.
Main Supporters
Competitive Landscape
Electric bus adoption in Africa is early. Competition depends on who can finance fleets, deliver dependable charging, and maintain uptime.
| Company | Model | Markets | How BasiGo is Different |
|---|---|---|---|
| BasiGo | PAYD plus depots | Kenya, Rwanda | Bundled finance, charging, and service with fleet data |
| Roam | Bus sales plus partners | Kenya | BasiGo carries the bus asset on PAYD and manages depot uptime |
| Opibus and other assemblers | Build and sell buses | Single markets | BasiGo focuses on fleet finance and charging scale |
Key Lessons for Founders
What can builders learn from BasiGo?
- Win on daily economics. Operators switch when operating cost drops quickly.
- Finance is the unlock. PAYD turns a capital purchase into a predictable expense.
- Infrastructure is part of the product. Depots and uptime drive adoption.
- Start with dense routes. High utilisation proves the model and shortens payback.
- Data builds trust. Telematics make performance visible for operators and cities.
Impact metrics from BasiGo public dashboard, checked November 2025.
Series A package details from Africa50 and BasiGo announcements, October 2024.
100th bus milestone from BasiGo and industry press, July to August 2025.
basi-go.com