PROJECT LATEST of internal African trends that will undeniably shape the outlook of the continent and its denizens . For the purposes of a discussion on smart cities , population trends certainly stand out , as does the profound impact of urbanisation .
The United Nations projects that Africa will see a 16 % rise in its urban population by 2050 . The number of people living in African cities will increase to 56 %, making it the most rapidly urbanising region on the planet . In 2014 , only Cairo , Kinshasa , and Lagos were considered to be megacities . However , three more are expected to emerge by 2030 as they are projected to surpass the 10 million mark including Dar es Salaam in Tanzania , Johannesburg in South Africa , and Luanda in Angola .
But it is not just the megacities that are important , the number of large cities in Africa with populations between 5 and 10 million is also expected to increase , from 3 in 2014 to 12 in 2030 . And the fastest-growing urban clusters are medium-sized cities and those with less than 1 million inhabitants .
By their very nature , cities concentrate national economic activity , government , commerce , and transportation . They are hubs that intersect the urban , rural , city-city , and city-country perimeters . The process of urbanisation should not be viewed in isolation , but should also be considered alongside other significant economic and social changes such as greater geographic mobility , lower fertility , longer life expectancy , and other demographic shifts .
The UN associates urban living with higher levels of literacy and education , better health , greater access to social services , and increased opportunities for cultural and political participation . Cities offer opportunities to expand access to services such as healthcare , education , public transportation , housing , electricity , water , and sanitation in an economically efficient manner . Urban dwellers also have access to larger and more diversified labor markets , and enjoy healthier lives overall .
Mark Walker is Associate Vice President , Sub-Saharan Africa at IDC .
At the same time , carelessly considered , hasty , and unplanned urban growth threatens sustainable development , and in effect ensures that the potential benefits of city living is distributed unevenly , thereby fueling rather than eradicating inequality .
The high rate of African urbanisation puts pressure on major cities in the country to improve service delivery to residents , to provide economic diversification , and to ensure greater operational efficiency . Given that nearly 70 % of Africa ’ s population are millennials , the continent ’ s demographic makeup also indicates the inevitable rise of Smart Cities in Africa . Since this generation is filled with savvy users of advanced technologies , including mobility , cloud , social , and Big Data analytics .
These pressures are in effect forcing government entities whether national or local to consider more efficient ways to deal with the rapidly rising demands . City leaders have two options in the face of Africa ’ s urbanisation reality – do nothing and suffer the consequences or embrace existing and cutting-edge technology solutions to create smarter opportunities for all city dwellers .
Since 2013 there has been a change in the level of understanding and awareness around the issue of smart cities and , in particular , around the opportunities that the emergence of the Internet of Things and the Third Platform technologies , big data and analytics , social , mobile , and cloud offer .
African countries , businesses , and consumers are increasingly embracing the future of technology , anticipating that the wave of innovation will lead to increased African prosperity . As a result , many African municipalities are engaged in smart city transformation activities in order to improve the quality of life of their citizens , enhance the experience of businesses , and provide an environment that is conducive to economic development .
However , city leaderships are also being confronted by growing complexity within IT and operational systems , by the disconnection between digital and physical environments , and by the lack of supporting regulations and policies . Cities in Africa need to determine the critical capabilities required to enable a smart city and undertake the nontechnical and technical investments and actions required to effectively advance toward data- and event-driven decision making .
Change , which is inherent to smart city transformation , is a long-term and complex process , and cities needed to be able to assess their current situation and , from there , develop a strategic roadmap . The key challenge is effecting behavioral change from both city management and the population at large in order to meet the anticipated goals .
As more and more African cities embrace the smart city concept , city leaders will look towards technology vendors for guidance on how to embrace this future vision . Vendors need to be able to support a holistic approach to smart city development and clearly articulate a vision that ensures the successful execution of a smart city in relation to strategy , finance , processes , and technology .
Assuming this all happens , the development of smart city success stories will become essential to ensuring Africa ’ s urban future delivers on the requirements of its citizens . www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO
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