- 1. Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos is unarguably one of the top metropolitan cities of Africa. The Lagos metropolitan area has a total population of roughly 23.5 million, as of 2018 (the exact population figure is disputable), making it the most populous conurbation in Africa. Lagos has been variously described as the most important economic hub of Africa, and among the top 10 fastest growing cities and urban areas. It has the 4th largest GDP in Africa and is home to Africa’s busiest seaports.
Lagos is classified into 2 main areas, Lagos Island, named so due to the area being surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. It is the major economic hub of the state and Nigeria as a whole, and home to many top businesses including financial institutions, busiest day markets, such as the popular Idumota and Balogun markets, big corporations, as well as hosting
the city’s most expensive and most exotic real estates, such as Victoria Island, Lagos Island, Ikoyi, Ibeju Lekki, Banana Island, Snake Island, the ultra-modern Eko City, set to become the playground for the extremely wealthy and upper class, among others areas. It is also the state’s main entertainment center; while the second division of Lagos is known as Lagos
Mainland, consisting of Surulere, Yaba, famed as Nigeria’s own Silicon Valley due to its large concentration of tech hubs, Ikeja, the state capital, Magodo, Ikorodu among others. Most industries in Lagos are located mainly at Lagos Mainland. The native name for Lagos is Eko.
Formerly the state capital of Nigeria, Lagos lost this status on 12 December 1991, when the capital of Nigeria was moved to Abuja. However, it retained the status of Nigeria’s economic capital to date. The city has the highest number of tallest buildings in Nigeria with a mixture of western, tropical, and vernacular architectural styles, dotting its skyline.
As a top African city, Lagos offers huge prospects for business, jobs, investments, entertainment, tourism, leisure, and a good life. As the center of one of the largest urban areas in the world, as described by The Atlantic, Lagos has made dreamers millionaires, but it also believes that two-third of its population are slum dwellers. Lagos generates about a quarter of Nigeria’s total gross domestic product and is plagued by problems associated with megacities of Africa, such as overcrowding, overpopulation, high cost of properties, mass poverty, traffic congestions, untarred or broken-down roads especially in the inner cities, poor-to-low-quality water supply, epileptic electricity, inefficient drainage system, and flooding. Successive governments of the state have been tackling these myriads of problems.
- 2. Cairo, Egypt
Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Its population is estimated at 21.3 million inhabitants. The Cairo metropolitan area is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Arab world, the second-largest city in Africa, and the sixth-largest in the world. Cairo is the political and cultural life of the region and is famously known as “the city of a thousand minarets” due to its predominance of Islamic architecture, castles, and churches located within it as well as being home to the world’s second-oldest institution of higher learning, Al-Azhar University and the headquarters of the Arab League The city of Cairo has been regarded as ‘guardian and a center for culture, art, and beauty, which makes it an amazing attraction for tourists. The city is the seat of the government and the mainstay of the nation’s business, and politics. It also holds the biggest mass media and entertainment center in the Middle East. Egypt boasts of many cultural centers, museums, artistic institutes, sports clubs, and universities.
Major attractions in Egypt include Cairo Tower, the National Culture Centre, the Cairo Opera House, Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, which displays the works of local artists across mediums: painting, sculpture, and other mixed media, the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, Al-Azhar Park, the historic Mosque of Muhammad Ali, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, the Tutankhamun’s tomb, the new Grand Egyptian Museum, and of course the pyramid of Giza among other tourist delights
- 3. Kinshasa, DR Congo
Kinshasa, formerly known as Léopoldville, is the capital and the largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is Africa’s third-largest metropolitan area, after Lagos and Cairo. The city’s estimated total population is 15 million (2020 figure). 70% of the population are Christians, while other sects and traditional beliefs make up 10%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%. Kinshasa is reputed as one of the fastest-growing megacities in Africa. Kinshasa has a rich deposit of gold, silver, cobalt, diamonds, copper, industrial gem, columbite-tantalite (coltan) refined, coltan becomes tantalum, niobium, petroleum, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower and timber, large arable land and large biodiversity. It has the world’s second- largest rainforest, according to The World Bank.
Paradoxically, an estimated 73% of the Congolese population, equaling 60 million people, lived on less than $1.90 a day (the international poverty rate), according to a World Bank report (2018). As such, about one out of six people living in extreme poverty in SSA – live in DRC
- 4. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar es Salaam has a population of over 6 million people and is the largest city in East Africa and the seventh-largest in Africa. The city is an important economic center for Tanzania. It is famed as one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
Dar es Salaam is regarded as Tanzania’s most prominent city for the creative industry, including arts, fashion, media, film, and television, and also serves as its leading financial center. Important places to see in Da es Salaam include St Joseph’s Cathedral, Mbudya Island, Kivukoni Fish Market, Cocoa Beach, Askari Monument, Mwenge Woodcarvers Market, National Museum and House of Culture, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Village Museum among other places of interest.
- 5. Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg, informally known as Joburg, is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world, and the wealthiest province in South Africa. Major South African companies including financial institutions have their head offices in Johannesburg. The city is the center of the large- scale gold and diamond trade.
Johannesburg was established in 1886, following the discovery of gold on what had been a farm. Due to the extremely large gold deposit found along the Witwatersrand, within ten years, the population had grown to 100,000 inhabitants. Major places of interest in Johannesburg include Apartheid Museum, a thought-provoking museum of South African history and culture, Gautrain, modern public transportation systems; Mandela House, which is a historic site; Hector Pieterson History Museums; Gold Reef City Amusement & Theme Parks, an amazing theme park with rides for kids and adults, fun activities, mine tours, animal farm, 4D cinema, etc., Constitution Hill Human Rights Precinct, a historic site; South African National Museum of Military History, Walter Sisulu Square, Johannesburg Zoo, Soweto Theatre, Credo Mutwa Cultural Village, African Craft Market of Rosebank, Johannesburg Botanical Garden, Wozobona Cultural House, Specialty Museums among many others places of interest
- 6. Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Abidjan is one of the most populous French-speaking cities in Africa. The country’s 2014 census places Abidjan’s population at 4.7 million, which is 20 percent of the overall population of the country, making it the 6th most populous city in Africa. Abidjan metropolitan city is characterized by mega industrialization and urbanization. Abidjan is the largest Ivorian city, the center of its economic activity, and the “economic capital” of the country.
Abidjan is the regional headquarters of many international institutions, including UNICEF, UN Development Program, World Health Organization, World Food Program, UNOPS, UNFPA, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), IFAD, BOAD, etc. General bank, Crédit Lyonnais, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays, etc., have their offices in the city. Abidjan is nicknamed “Manhattan of the tropics”. With its accommodation and sporting facilities, its lively nightlife, transport and communication, it is the perfect city for business tourism. Nightlife in Abidjan is believed to be one of the liveliest in Africa
- 7. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, also known as Finfinne, is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. According to the 2007 census, the city’s population is estimated at 2,739,551 inhabitants. Several institutions such as the seat of Jubilee Palace, African Union, and the predecessor Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Ethiopia hosts the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and many other international organizations, which are often referred to as “the political capital of Africa” for its historical, diplomatic, and political significance for Africa. Addis Ababa is the land of the finest Arabica coffee. Ethiopians are known to be great dancers. The country has a rich history and is the world’s oldest Christian tradition. Ethiopia is one of the countries of Africa that was never colonized
- 8. Accra, Ghana
Accra is the capital of Ghana. It has an estimated urban population of 4.2 million, as of 2020. It is the most heavily populated Ghanaian city. The central business district of Accra contains the city’s main banks and department stores.
Accra derives many revenues from its financial and commercial sectors. Economic activities include the manufacturing of processed food, chemicals, clothing, fishing, lumber, plywood, and textiles. Tourism is beginning to thrive too, especially in arts and crafts, historical sites, and local travel and tour industries. Oxford Street in the district of Osu has grown to become the hub of business and nightlife in Accra.
- 9. Casablanca, Morocco
Casablanca is located on the Atlantic coast of the Chaouia plain, in the central-western part of Morocco. It is the largest city of Morocco and the second largest in the Maghreb region, the eighth-largest in the Arab world. Casablanca is Morocco’s chief port and one of the largest financial centers in Africa. The 2019 population estimate places the city’s urban population at about 3.71 million, while over 4.27 million make up the Greater Casablanca. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco.
Many Moroccan companies and international corporations doing business in the country, have their headquarters and main industrial facilities in Casablanca, making it the major industrial zone of the nation. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world and the second-largest port in North Africa.
- 10. Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi was founded by the colonial authorities in British East Africa in 1899, and it quickly grew to replace Mombasa, as the capital of Kenya in 1907, after the country’s independence in 1963. Nairobi is Kenya’s largest city, and the city’s population is estimated at 4,397,073 in the 2019 census. But the metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 9,354,580 and is generally called the ‘Green City in the Sun’.
Nairobi is home to many Kenyan businesses and more than 100 major international companies and organizations. This includes The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), one of the largest stock exchanges in Africa, and the second-oldest in the continent. It is Africa’s fourth-largest exchange in terms of trading volume, capable of making 10 million trades a day, the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). Nairobi is an established hub for culture and tourism, with the Nairobi National Park with a large game reserve
