AFRICAN CITIES WILL DOUBLE IN POPULATION BY 2050

Africans are moving to the city. already home to the world’s youngest and fastestgrowing population, the continent is urbanising more rapidly than any other part of the planet. africa’s 1.1 billion citizens will likely double in number by 2050, and more than 80% of that increase will occur in cities, especially informal settlements.

The implications of this turbo-charged growth are hard to fathom. consider how lagos - already africa’s largest city - is predicted to expand by an astonishing 77 people every hour between now and 2030.

Africa is not prepared for this urban explosion. By 2025, there will be 100 african cities with more than one million inhabitants each, according to McKinsey.

That’s twice as many as in latin america. runaway urbanisation and a growing youth bulge, with most young people lacking meaningful job prospects, is a time bomb. already some 70% of africans are under 30. youngsters account for roughly 20% of the population, 40% of the workforce and 60% of the unemployed.