The rapid growth and evolution of African megacities requires radical, effective urban management.
Lagos, Cairo and Kinshasa already have more than 10 million residents while Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Khartoum are all expected to reach the 10-million-person threshold in the near future.
African megacities also face common challenges while attempting to remain competitive in securing sufficient resources to maintain and grow the city.
Sharoda Rapeti, Smart Cities Africa Leader at Deloitte says “Smart cities will elevate cyber risk as a strategic issue, develop policies and frameworks, spread awareness, and support with investment into implementation.
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Smart Buildings planners should adopt a targeted and multi-pronged cybersecurity strategy that is secure, vigilant, and resilient.”
Deloitte recently developed an Integrated Smart Cities Framework, which identifies six elements African megacities need to adopt in order to become sustainable smart cities that attract investment:
- Smart Governance that includes improved revenue management, administration and policies.
- Smart Living dealing with sewage and sanitation water supply, electricity, storm water drainage, housing and citizen safety.
- Smart People requiring better education, participation in public life, improved health services and the inclusive development of all citizens.
- Smart Mobility that deals with transport and logistics infrastructure
- Smart Environment that tackles the challenges of pollution and sustainable resource management
- Smart Economy that ensures growing income levels, job creation and reduced poverty levels.
According to this framework, a smart, sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication technologies and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social and environmental aspects.
Deloitte is playing a significant role in the development of the smart cities pipeline in South Africa.
It is already working with major players in the public sector and has built strong alliance partnerships with technology and telecommunications companies to build a Smart City Centre of Excellence in Africa.