Why African cities must be given real fiscal authority

African cities are not broken versions of Global West municipalities — they are different economic entities that need different tools

29 June 2025 - 00:00 By ALEX MABUNDA

Africa is urbanising rapidly. According to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, “Africa’s Urbanisation Dynamics 2025”, our cities will house 1.4-billion people by 2050 — twice today’s number. But this growth is happening in cities that lack the financial power to shape their own futures...

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