This paper is concerned with the potential of Intermediate Means of Transport (IMTs) for improving mobility and alleviating access problems in off-road areas in subSaharan Africa. I define ‘off-road’ as areas located away from a paved (or good gravel) road which, for at least part of the year, are inaccessible or accessible only with difficulty by motorised transport. My focus in the paper is on people who live off-road in rural areas which have some limited – albeit basic – transport infrastructure (i.e. a regional paved road network along which motorised vehicles operate), rather on very remote areas without any transport infrastructure.