The Development of Africa
The Development of Africa
When people think of Africa, they think of poverty, crime, and under development. But is that really how it should be portrayed?
Africa has always been regarded as the poorest continent in the world but that’s not completely fair. While Africa has certain unsafe regions, the continent has evolved rapidly in the past couple of decades.
“Development in Africa is not a dream; it is a reality that is being built every day”
– Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General
Many cities in Africa are progressing up the spectrum in development and with a large flourishing youth population, the continent is on its way to becoming a thriving world of opportunity for the next generation.
Time Out’s Top 5 Most Developed Cities in Africa:
- Cape Town, South Africa – City beauty and thriving culinary culture
- Marrakesh, Morocco – Historical charm, arts, and market-driven food scene
- Lagos, Nigeria – Excels in nightlife energy, creative industries, and community friendliness
- Cairo, Egypt – Historic landmarks, 24-hour lifestyle, and museum scenes
- Johannesburg, South Africa – Post-pandemic liveability, neighbourhood culture, and dining
Kigali: Devastation to Development
Kigali lies in the heart of Rwanda and has adapted into one of Africa’s most developed and clean cities. But it wasn’t always like that.
The country was faced with significant challenges in the 20th Century with major government tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes.
Since 1994, Rwanda has reformed its capital, Kigali, into one of the most modern cities in Africa. The government has done this through aggressive economic diversification, which has attracted major foreign investment after moving away from traditional exports like tea and coffee. Its progress in social policies has helped create a highly organised atmosphere within the city and country. President Paul Kagame has been monumental to this government objective.
“Rwanda chose peace, unity, and reconciliation. Unity is the best investment we have ever made”.
– Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda
Kigali’s Amahoro Stadium, whose name translates to “peace” – symbolises Rwanda’s unity, and modernisation. Once serving as a UN Protected Site in 1994, sheltering over 12,000 refugees, it now represents unity and hope for the citizens of not only Rwanda but also the world.
Rwanda is rapidly enhancing its network systems by building railway lines to connect with Dar-Es-Salaam and Mombasa in Tanzania. It is also building a new £1.5bn airport to transform RwandAir into a major global competitor. Economic growth is paramount in transport for Rwanda with the rollout of electric motorcycles and e-buses for low-carbon economic growth.
Comparison to European Cities
Europe’s cities are widely regarded as the most developed in the world. But a close analysis shows that Africa is quickly catching up and Europe needs to wake up and see where the competition is.
Ecology:
European cities have strict emissions controls and regulate green infrastructure to battle against the pollution major cities generate. Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, is working towards becoming carbon neutral while Stockholm’s public transport runs almost entirely on renewable energy.
Many African cities however are characterised by rapid expansion and clustered land use. But cities like Cape Town are trying to transition public transport to electric or alternative energy by 2050.
Land Use:
European cities are commonly represented by dense, planned, mixed-use zoning, and extensive public transport. They run on slow stabilised growth, and urban expansion is tightly controlled.
African cities grow rapidly and unprecedently with extremely high density in some parts with very low density in others. They also often have dispersed structures and a lack of centralised mass transit.
Economy:
Cities in Europe have significantly higher GDPs per capita than anywhere else in the world. Their highly advanced infrastructure offers better jobs with many major companies having buildings in European cities, which monumentally benefits them and their GDP.
African cities’ outputs are spread across significantly larger populations which ultimately leads to lower GDP per capita compared to Europe’s while major African cities are among the most expensive in the world due to high import costs, localised monopolies, and luxury housing.