In today's article, MDS Consultancy brought you the list of the top 10 smartest cities in Africa, 2024 as it was ranked by International Development and Management (IDM) publishes a Smart City Index, that balances the economic and technological aspects of smart cities on the one hand, and the "human dimension" of the smart city (quality of life, environment, and integration), among others. It benefited from a partnership with the Seoul-based World Smart Sustainable City Organization (WeGO) two years ago. The Smart City Index, which has surveyed citizens and collected data from 142 cities around the world since 2019, has become an internationally recognized tool for policymakers and concerns international news. At the same time, researchers at the site also collected research data on different types of smart cities to illustrate each city's different stages of development and different experiences with the real-world relevance of scale.
What is a Smart City by IDM?
Smart cities are rapidly changing and exciting spaces for new experiences in many important areas such as urban planning, sustainable energy, transportation strategies, communication fidelity, and intellectual choice. As leaders and citizens around the world continue to evaluate, design, implement, and improve ways to build better cities, they often find themselves faced with many decisions and challenges addressing specific problems such as traffic, waste management, and crime. IDM Define A smart city is an urban area that uses technology and data-driven solutions to enhance the quality of life for its residents, improve efficiency in various sectors, and promote sustainability. These cities leverage digital infrastructure, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and connectivity to manage resources effectively and deliver better services.
Factors that are often considered in Smart City Index rankings:
- Digital Infrastructure: This includes the availability and quality of high-speed internet access, mobile connectivity, digital platforms, and smart devices across the city.
- Transportation: Indicators such as public transit efficiency, use of smart transportation systems (like real-time traffic monitoring or smart parking), integration of sustainable mobility options, and reduction of congestion and pollution.
- Energy and Environment: Factors like renewable energy adoption, energy efficiency measures in buildings and infrastructure, waste management practices, air quality monitoring, and green spaces.
- E-Government: Evaluation of digital services provided by the government, transparency, accessibility of public information, online citizen engagement platforms, and efficiency in delivering public services.
- Economy and Innovation: Metrics related to innovation ecosystems, support for startups and businesses, investment in research and development, digital entrepreneurship, and collaboration between the public and private sectors.
- Quality of Life: Consideration of factors impacting residents' well-being, such as healthcare services, education quality, affordable housing, safety and security measures, cultural amenities, and overall livability.
- Sustainability and Resilience: Assessment of initiatives promoting sustainability, climate resilience, disaster preparedness, water conservation, green infrastructure, and efforts to mitigate environmental impact.
Several organizations and institutions develop their own Smart City Index reports, such as the IESE Cities in Motion Index, the IMD Smart City Index, and the Smart Cities Index by the IESE Business School and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). These reports provide valuable insights into the progress and challenges faced by cities worldwide in their journey toward becoming smarter, more sustainable, and more inclusive urban environments.
Overview of the Smart City Index Report
The Smart City Index identified Zurich as the smartest city in the world in 2024, followed by Oslo, Canberra Geneva, etc. You can see the rest in our next article. The report ranked Cairo city as the smartest city in Africa. Many European cities influence the ranking; 7 of the 10 smartest cities in the world are European cities. While some cities in Asia make up for this in the rankings, Singapore, for example, comes in at number 5. Others, such as Taipei, dropped from place 16 to No. 13. Surprisingly, for the first time since the index was created, a North American city is not among the top 20. According to the index, the rankings of major American cities such as Washington, Denver, and Los Angeles lost their positions, while New York City ranked 34th in the rankings. In addition to the list,
Some countries have two cities like Egypt (Cairo, Sana'a), and Nigeria (Abuja, Lagos) and this may collaborate with the Economy of the country the evidence is that most of the countries on the list are even coming from the top 10 countries with the best economies in Sub-Saharan ranked by GDP, 2024.
Table 1: List of the top 10 smart cities in Africa, according to the 2024 Smart City Index
Rank Country City Rate Global position
- Egypt Cairo C 114th
- Algerie Algiers C 124th
- Morcco Rabat C 126th
- South Africa Cape Town D 129th
- Kenya Nairobi C 131st
- Nigeria Abuja D 135th
- Nigeria Lagos D 136th
- Tunisie Tunis D 137th
- Ghana Accra D 138th
- Egypt Sana’a D 141st
In conclusion, the concept of a Smart City revolves around leveraging technology and data-driven solutions to enhance various aspects of urban life, including infrastructure, transportation, sustainability, governance, and citizen engagement. Smart City Index rankings play a crucial role in assessing and comparing cities based on their progress in implementing smart initiatives and improving overall quality of life.
By considering factors like digital infrastructure, transportation efficiency, energy and environment initiatives, e-government services, innovation ecosystems, quality of life indicators, and sustainability efforts, these indexes provide valuable insights into the strengths, challenges, and opportunities for cities to become smarter, more efficient, and more resilient.
As cities continue to evolve and embrace technological advancements, the Smart City Index serves as a guide for policymakers, urban planners, businesses, and citizens to collaborate and work towards creating more livable, sustainable, and inclusive urban environments around the world.
Author: Donald Masimbi