While investors fund high-tech hubs and luxury towers, informal settlements are razed and millions remain offline. What does inclusion really look like?
Editor's note: After exploring Africa's innovative approaches to smart cities in our previous article, we now examine the growing challenges of ensuring these digital urban visions truly work for everyone.
Who Shapes Our Cities?
Imagine living in a city where everything works: traffic flows, energy use is efficient, and waste disappears with a swipe. Now imagine that same city, but only a few can afford to live there. That’s the contrast playing out as smart city plans expand across Africa.
By 2050, 70% of the world will live in urban areas, responsible for 70% of global emissions. Half of these people will be in towns with fewer than 500,000 residents, places often overlooked by grand urban tech visions.
In cities like Kigali and Lagos, smart city projects promise cleaner, more connected futures. But who are they built for? These projects often favor digital innovation over affordability, sidelining those already struggling for access to housing, water, and transit. As the continent urbanizes faster than anywhere else, this isn't just about technology. It’s about whose needs are being met and whose are ignored. The answers shape more than cities. They shape lives.
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