Introduction:

The cities of Africa are among the fastest growing cities in the world. The ten fastestgrowing African cities will grow, on average, by 120% between 2010 and 2025. (...) This reflects mainly the ongoing economic growth of the continent. Africa has the most countries with an economic growth above 5% and the highest growth of a middle class, resulting in a growing consumer class. This economic growth is mostly concentrated in the cities – the economic drivers of the continent – where the political, cultural and economic opportunities are centralized and attract and need people to keep this economic motor running.

At the same time, African cities have the highest proportion of ‘slums’ in the world with 62% on average (with cities well above 80% of ‘slum’ dwellers). The mix of these two indicators seems to be a real powder keg with a very short fuse, reflecting the huge challenges these cities are facing.

Quite rightly, the authors of the UN-HABITAT report on the status of African cities seem to demand that African governments should regain control of their cities’ growth as soon as possible. They even predict that, without extensive active measures to create adequate infrastructure, housing and a balance of social structures, major catastrophes will ensue.

But how can cities with 60–80% ‘slum’ share and with poor to no infrastructure even work? And what measures can the African cities – with their often very modest administrative budgets – actually undertake? (...) How do cities work in which only a quarter of the population has access to adequate infrastructure? How does the rest of the city live or survive?