1

THE FUTURE OF

AFRICAN CITIES

GAETAN SIEW

Governing Council, UN HABITAT

Chair, Port Louis Development Initiative

Past President, International Union of Architects

2

THE WORLD ASSEMBLED

54Countries

4.2%GDP Growth

Rates (2018)

Diversification

Competitiveness

Access to services

Employment

Exports

Indicators on the rise

CONTEXT

2,000Languages

20.4%Africa Covering

total land area of

the earth

Indicators on the fall

Crime

Political unrest

Rural population

Inflation

External Debt

3

INFRASTRUCTURE COMING TO TERM

CLIMATE CHANGE

LAND OWNERSHIP

FOOD / WATER /

ENERGY

AFRICAN CHALLENGES

BUILDING WAKANDA

DOING BUSINESS

CHALLENGES

4

THE NEED TO CONNECT

Colonial times

• Looting of resources

• Slave trade

Today

• Sharing of resources

• Collaboration for regional gains

• Cross border trading as the new barter system

TH

E S

CA

RS

OF

CO

LO

NIA

LIS

M

CO

LO

NIA

L R

AIL

WA

Y M

AP

UBUNTU DIPLOMACY

where all sectors and countries belong as

partners, where all participate as stakeholders,

and where all succeed together, not

incrementally but exponentially.

CHALLENGES

5

A (DIS)CONNECTED WORLD

People (Climate, War , Work)

Goods

Services

Ideas – Information - Knowledge

Capital

CHALLENGES & CONNECTIONS

6

AFRICAN MEGACITIES

Six of the world’s 41 megacities will be in

Africa by 2030

2.5 BNProjected population in 2050

1.2 BNPopulation in Africa today

DA

KA

R

CA

IRO

JO

HA

NN

ES

BU

RG

LA

GO

S

KIN

SH

AS

A

AB

IDJ

AN

LU

AN

DA

DA

R E

S S

AL

AA

M

AN

TA

NA

RIV

O

1.0 BNYoung People in 2050

CHALLENGES & CONNECTIONS

7

LESS BARRIERS –MORE CONNECTIONS

4MRails

4BInternet

Connections

40MAir Flighs

2MPipelines

64MRoads

0.5MK M o f B o r d e r s

CHALLENGES & CONNECTIONS

8

1,000,000,000YOUNG PEOPLE BY 2050

YOUTH

RISING MIDDLE

CLASS

PEOPLE AS ASSETS

SILVER ECONOMY

ASSETS

9MINING RESOURCES

RA

RE

EA

RT

HS

GO

LD

IRO

N O

RE

‘Poverty in the

land of riches’

-Matsime Simon Mohapi

ASSETS

CO

BA

LT

PH

OS

PH

AT

E

UR

AN

IUM

CO

PP

ER

10

Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.

“Tom Barrett

APPROACH

11

CULTURE AS A DRIVER

CONNECT CULTURES

CELEBRATE CITIES

SHARE EXPERIENCES

3. APPROACH

CREATIVECULTURAL INDUSTRIES$2250 BN / Y + 29.5 M JOBSAFRICA $ 624 BN -2015 – 2.4 M JOBS

ASSETS 11

12

TAPPING INTO AN INCREASING MARKETBY 2050 HALF OF THE WORLD POPULATION WILL RESIDE IN THE TROPICS

$ 2.3 TRILLION/YEARFOR INFRASTRUCTURAL NEEDS

POTENTIAL MARKETS

ENERGY, WATER, WASTE, MOBILITY, FOOD, …

TINA

13

JUGAAD

Noun - Indian Origin

A flexible approach to problem-solving that uses

limited resources in an innovative way.

SURVIVAL + INNOVATION

TINA 13

14

LEAPFROGGING INTO THE FUTURE

Information Technology as

the connecting thread to

weave a sustainable and

economically resilient

fabric

To Address

• Internet penetration in

Africa : 13.5% (2011)

• Education in IT

• Digital Infrastructure

M PESA

Mobile

Money

BLOCKCHAI

N public

ledger

BIT PESA

Cryptocurrency

TINA

15

TRADE & WORKFORCE

Increased population and

displacement in trade routes and

geopolitical factors can be an

opportunity for Africa to tap into

its increasing workforce to affirm

its position in the emerging world

AM

ER

ICA

S

2.5 Bn

1.2 Bn

5.3 Bn

PR

OJE

CT

ED

WO

RL

DP

OP

UL

AT

ION

BY

CO

NT

INE

NT

(20

50

)

AS

IA

AF

RIC

A

TINA

16

In times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriersKing T’Challa of Wakanda, Black Panther

Thank you.