Rashid Seedat: By mid-century, 60% of Africa’s population will live in metropolitan areas
Baku, May 22, AZERTAC
“Close to 50% of Africa’s population currently lives in metropolitan areas, with projections indicating this will grow to 60% by mid-century. While these regions already produce 60% of the continent’s GDP, the lack of a unified legal and policy framework for metropolitan governance continues to pose a significant challenge,” said Rashid Seedat, Executive Director at Gauteng City-Region Observatory (South Africa), in his remarks during a panel session on "Metropolitan Governance for Affordable Housing and Inclusive Territorial Development," held as part of the WUF13.
Rashid Seedat said there is no single model for metropolitan governance in Africa, as countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, and Tanzania require context-specific approaches. He cited Johannesburg as an example of effective single-tier metropolitan management. He also stressed that housing must be planned together with services, noting that without water, electricity, and transport infrastructure, homes cannot function properly.
Addressing climate change, the executive director cited Cape Town in South Africa as an example, noting that the city recently experienced unprecedented heavy rainfall that caused severe infrastructure damage. He stressed that weak metropolitan governance systems prevent cities from responding to climate risks at the required scale.
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