Africa's New Modern Cities: A Beacon of Hope for the Continent
Dennis W. Wachira, MSC, PMP?, MSP ?
Project Management specialist - Construction | PMP? Certified | Construction, Infrastructure & Engineering management | Cross-functional project collaboration |
Africa's?urban?population?is quickly increasing, with the?continent's?urban?population?anticipated to quadruple by 2050.?Because of this urbanization,?there?is?a?demand?for?new?and modern cities that can?handle?the rising?population?while?also?providing?chances?for economic growth.
Several?important?contemporary towns are being?built?in Africa, each with its own distinct vision and?development goals.?Here?are?a?couple of?such?examples:
KIGALI INNOVATION CITY.
Kigali Innovation City?(KIC)?is?a $1 billion project being?created?in Rwanda to?serve?as a?centre?for?innovation?and?technology by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Africa50 Group .?The?city?is being constructed on a 60-hectare??tract of?land?and is?scheduled?to be?finished?in 2025.?KIC is being developed to be a mixed-use, master-planned, innovative city.?The?universities?will?be world-class institutions focused on?science,?technology,?engineering, and mathematics education and research.?The?commercial park will?house?a?range?of technology enterprises, while the residential portion will be environmentally friendly and energy efficient.?Each?year, the?city?is?predicted?to?generate?50,000?jobs?and $450m in economic activity.?We already have Carnegie Mellon University Africa currently?open?for?business, and the?business?park?is?under?construction.?Construction?of the residential sector is?anticipated?to?start?in 2023.
Tatu City is in?Kiambu?County, Kenya, approximately 30 kilometres?(19?miles)?from Nairobi.?The?city?is being constructed on a 5,000-hectare?(12,000-acre)?parcel of?land?by the Tatu City Development Corporation?(TDC)?and is?projected?to be?finished?by 2030.?A residential region, a commercial area, an industrial sector, and a technological park will be?included?in the?city.?The residential division will?house?250,000?people, while the business area will?house?50,000?workers.?The?city?will?run?on renewable energy and sustain a zero-waste policy.
Tatu City is Kenya’s first operational Special Economic Zone, providing reduced corporate taxes, zero-rated VAT and import duty exemptions, among other benefits.
Schools and businesses are already open in Tatu City, and a range of homes suit all incomes. The first?phase?of the residential area is?finished, while the commercial portion is presently under?development.?The?building?of the technological?park?is?scheduled?to?begin?in 2024.
Tatu City's recent updates.
KONZA CITY
Konza?City?is?a $14 billion IT?park?being?created?in Kenya with the?goal?of?becoming?a?hub?for the African IT sector by the? Konza Technopolis ?(KTDA).?Konza (Konza Technopolis ) is a key flagship project of Kenya’s Vision 2030 economic development portfolio. This will be a world-class city, powered by a thriving information, communications and technology (ICT) sector, superior reliable infrastructure and business-friendly governance systems. the?city.??It was planned as a mixed-use, high-density walkable city that accommodates a diversity of?programs and districts. By avoiding superblocks and auto-orientated roadways, Konza will be a?livable, sustainable urban environment that encourages high-value development and discourages?sprawl.?200,000?people?will be?housed?in the residential area.?The?city?is being constructed on a 2,000-hectare?(5,000-acre)?parcel of?land?and is?scheduled?to be?finished?by 2030.
Konza?City has progressed?further?than the other two cities.?The?university?is being?built, and the commercial park has been?completed.?Construction?on the residential area is?scheduled?to?start?in 2023.
Eko?Atlantic?is?the most advanced of the four?cities?and is?located?in Lagos, Nigeria, being?developed?by the?Eko?Atlantic?Development Corporation?(EADC).?The?city?is being built on reclaimed land in the?Atlantic?Ocean, protected by an 8.5-kilometre-long sea wall and is?expected?to be?completed?by 2025.??It is a focal point for investors capitalising on rich development growth based on massive demand – and a gateway to emerging markets of the continent.
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The project is privately funded by South Energyx Nigeria Limited – the developers and city planners, a subsidiary of the Nigeria-based @Chagoury Group of companies – working in strategic partnership with the Lagos State Government and supported by the Nigerian federal government. The?city?will?include?a residential quarter, a commercial?area, and a leisure?area.?The residential?area?will be?home?to 250,000?people, and the commercial quarter will be?home?to 1 million?jobs.?The?city?will?also?have a?number?of leisure amenities, like a?marina, a?golf course, and a?beach.
The first?phase?of the residential area has been?completed, and the commercial zone?is?under?construction.?The leisure area is?expected?to?begin?construction?in 2024.
NKOSI CITY
Nkosi City is?a major Integrated Human Settlement in Daantjie, Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is developed in a joint venture between the Nkosi City Communal Property Association and Dovetail Properties, assisted by the South African National Government, Mpumalanga Provincial Government and the City of Mbombela.
Construction on the R8 billion project is expected to start as early as June, with the city set to include RDP, social and bonded housing, as well as several urban farms.
Project developer?Dovetail Properties?said that on completion, the development will take the form of an ‘agri-city’, with urban housing located among small-scale urban farming plots.
The farming projects are expected to create employment opportunities for unemployed people in the area, with an estimated 15 000 jobs expected to be created. Power to the new city will be partially supplied by a solar farm and a biomass renewable energy plant.
‘The city will not only be a central business district for the region, but also an agricultural hub of macadamias, citrus and cash crops, eventually totalling about 5 000 hectares,’ said Philip Kleijnhans, director of Dovetail Properties.
Nkosi City will include 3471 houses and flats, 241 hectares of urban farms, nine pre-schools, three primary schools and two secondary schools, says the developer.
CONCLUSION
These cities are at various stages of development, but they all possess the capacity to revolutionize Africa.?They?show?Africa?as a?leader?in?innovation,?technology, and?sustainability?in the?future.
Constructing these present-day towns is a massive endeavour, but it is critical for Africa's future.?These?communities?will?give?much-needed housing,?jobs, and economic prospects.?They will equally contribute to the resolution of some of the continent's most serious issues, like poverty, unemployment and climate change.
The?development?of these sophisticated cities?demonstrates?Africa's expanding potential.?It indicates the continent is on the move and is committed to developing a more promising future for its people. The?construction?of these modern cities is a sign of Africa's growing?