Abstract:
There is evidence and consensus that African urban local authorities have to
capitalise on the dawn of smart technologies to match cities and towns of the
developed world. The adoption of technological advances in finance and
administration has improved local authorities’ revenue collection. This article
assesses the success of efforts by urban local authorities in embracing smart
technologies in urban development and governance in selected African cities.
African cities are faced with service delivery and urban development challenges
owing largely to the lack of smart technologies in urban infrastructure planning
and maintenance. The article examines the struggles of cities, municipalities and
towns in embracing smart technologies in dealing with urban development and
administration in Africa.
The adoption of e-administration, geographical information systems and other
technologies for the surveillance of urban infrastructure enhance transparency
and efficiency in service delivery in urban areas. It highlights how ICTs have
continued to influence urban development in the rapidly urbanising cities of Cape
Town (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt), Lagos (Nigeria) and Harare (Zimbabwe).
