Urban transport infrastructure development in African cities: Challenges and opportunities

Cities in developing countries are growing at an unprecedented rate. In a recent article by the World Economic Forum and United Nations, the Sub-Saharan Africa is emerging as the fastest urbanising region with a population expected to be around 1.5 to 2 billion by 2050. It is however unfortunate that these urbanisation trends have not been without their hurdles for Africa's developmental progress. The large scale infrastructure deficit in the continent is one of the widely recognised challenges inhibiting the realisation of sustainable and prosperous African cities. This paper examines the main issues and challenges specifically facing urban public transport infrastructure development in Africa. It also argues that the success of African cities in sustainable mobility is without doubt based on their ability to respond effectively to rapidly changing urban landscapes and migration trends. The paper also uses the City of Johannesburg in South Africa as a case study example to illustrate some of the innovative and progressive urban transport infrastructure development initiatives currently being implemented towards spatial transformation and sustainable mobility. The paper concludes by setting out, at a high level, a number of strategic pillars around which urban transport infrastructure development opportunities can be anchored to respond to both current and anticipated challenges thereof.