Lagos, currently the region’s most populous city, is expected to fall to second place as Angola’s capital, Luanda, overtakes it. Luanda’s population is projected to rise by 78% from 11.4 million in 2025 to 20.3 million in 2050.
Lagos, meanwhile, is expected to grow by more than 25%, from 12.8 million to 16.2 million over the same period. The Nigerian commercial centre will remain among the region’s largest urban areas, but its growth will not be enough to retain the top position.
Johannesburg is also expected to slip down the rankings, moving from fifth place in 2025 to eighth by 2050. Its population is projected to increase from 7.1 million to 8.9 million, as other cities expand at a faster pace.
By 2050, the 15 largest cities in sub-Saharan Africa are projected to be Luanda, Lagos, Kinshasa, Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Khartoum, Johannesburg, Onitsha, Yaoundé, Nairobi, Kampala, Bamako, Accra and Mogadishu.
Africa’s urban population set to surge
It says the region’s urban population already increased by 742.4 million between 1975 and 2025, rising from 170.2 million to 912.6 million.
The report identifies Bamako in Mali and Mogadishu in Somalia as two cities expected to enter the region’s 15 largest by 2050. Bamako’s population is projected to rise by 80% to 7.6 million, while Mogadishu is expected to grow by 64% to 7.2 million.
Cape Town in South Africa and Kano in Nigeria are projected to drop out of the top 15, although their populations are still expected to increase by 36% and 31%, respectively.
The World Bank argues that rapid urbanisation could support economic growth and job creation, but warns that sub-Saharan Africa risks missing out on these benefits without improvements in infrastructure, the business environment and private investment.
The region needs roughly 15 million new jobs annually to keep pace with its expanding workforce.
Source: africa.businessinsider.com
