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Africa and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

A sustainable future is one in which human intervention on both the built and natural environment enhances economic, social and political development of current and future generations without depleting resources and can be maintained. Technological advancements over the last century have provided planners worldwide with a wide range of possibilities for sustainable planning and development giving rise to concepts of smart cities and the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.


As the world continues to integrate these concepts in the implementation of global development commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda, the Sendai framework among others, it is important to contextualize on a regional basis as different regions have different development needs and priorities. The development priority for Africa is the Agenda 2063, a framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years.

H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda (Centre) 
At the 26th World Economic Forum on Africa (2016) H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, stated in his opening address that Africa should use the opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution to transform itself into a full partner on the global stage. “Africa should not be still playing catch-up when the fifth revolution comes around,” he added. Kagame called for “a continent free of pity and apprehension; a place of opportunity and partnership.”

Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya has been a leading nation in the continent in technological advancement in the last decade. The Intelligent Community Forum ranked Nairobi the smartest city in Africa in 2017 and the 10th most dynamic city in the world due to its re-emergence as a regional technological hub. In fact, it was the only African city to be listed among the Global Top 30 of the world’s fastest changing cities driven by technological innovation. 

This well-deserved recognition is due to the momentum at which Kenya is embracing and advancing technology to address its key development needs. In addition to the widely acclaimed, mobile money transfer service, MPESA, there are more notable inventions worth mentioning in the country. Ushahidi, for instance, is a platform created during the post-election violence of 2007/8 to document the violence through interactive maps. It has since grown to a broader spectrum covering data collection, visualization and management in various thematic areas. Another similarly interesting innovation is Mawingu which focuses on connecting people in rural areas to the internet using solar-powered Wi-Fi hotspots that serve the country’s poorest populations. Eneza took innovation in the education sector a notch higher through its mobile learning platform which provides access to educational resources with local content through SMS, web and smartphone services. 

There are a myriad of opportunities for integration of technology with urban and regional planning. As Africa continues to soar to greater heights, all development stakeholders in the built environment need to identify areas where they can innovate and plug in.Are there development challenges facing the country? Can planning provide solutions to these problems? Will integration of technology create a more enabling environment? Do we have the capacity to do it? If the answer to these questions is yes, then we know where to begin.




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