Cities are at the heart of the continent’s economic reconfiguration and are the key for unlocking its future potential.

Some people still think of Africa as communities living in remote villages, yet 40% of the population are now urbanized. In 20 years more than 50% will live in urban centers. Cities will be the engines of growth and opportunity, these are exciting prospects

Currently, only three African cities – Lagos, Cairo and Kinshasa – are considered ‘megacities’ (more than 10 million population). But this is likely to change as Johannesburg, Luanda, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Casablanca and Khartoum, will become megacities soon. 

These cities need an urgent boost in industrial growth and investment in infrastructure to address the influx of people and associated challenges in order to grow as sustainable ‘green’ cities

Photo: Siemens Africa