At the heart of every smart city lies a powerful enabler: digital connectivity. As Africa’s cities grow, so does the urgency to connect people, infrastructure, and services — seamlessly, securely, and sustainably.

Smart Cities in Africa: Lessons, Models, and Opportunities is a strategic guide for policymakers, planners, and innovators looking to build cities where connectivity powers innovation, digital services are accessible to all, and technology drives urban resilience.

This guide explores how cities across the continent are leveraging broadband networks, digital platforms, IoT, and public-private partnerships to improve mobility, energy, safety, and inclusion — while laying the digital foundation for long-term transformation.

What You’ll Learn:

• Connectivity as Core Infrastructure: How fiber, 4G/5G, public Wi-Fi, and smart grids enable urban digital services

• Smart Urban Use Cases: E-governance, intelligent transport, digital health, and civic tech

• City-Wide Digital Infrastructure Planning: From cloud platforms to edge computing hubs

• PPP Models for Urban Connectivity: How cities are mobilizing investment through innovative partnerships

• Urban Inclusion through Connectivity: Connecting informal settlements, youth, and women to digital opportunity

• Case Studies: Smart connectivity strategies in Kigali, Nairobi, Accra, Cape Town, and Lagos

Who Should Use This Guide:

• Urban planners and smart city project leads

• Ministries of ICT, Infrastructure, and Local Government

• City mayors and digital transformation offices

• Donor programs focused on sustainable cities and inclusion

• Telecoms, startups, and tech companies targeting urban markets

Format:

• Digital PDF (70+ pages)

• Includes diagrams, connectivity planning templates, and readiness checklists

• Designed for both city-level execution and national urban strategies

Digitally Connected. Locally Grounded.

This guide reflects lessons from across Africa’s most ambitious smart city initiatives, and aligns with the AU Digital Transformation Strategy, ITU Smart Sustainable Cities Framework, and the Smart Africa Manifesto.

Design smart cities where connectivity drives equity, efficiency, and innovation.
→ Download Smart Cities in Africa: Lessons, Models, and Opportunities now on SumoConnect Africa.