100 CITIES IN TRANSITION: (1) KIGALI – RWANDA.

Smart cities enhance the performance – and infrastructural growth in evolving markets. According to the recent survey conducted by Africa Digital Economy and Technology Forum, Africa’s digital technology adoption is slow but it is on a steady course.

Our survey reveals many findings, but first among them is the close link between digital adoption and growth of urbanisation. It is projected that more than half the population of Africa will live and work in urban and smart cities by the end of 2035.

While urbanisation and technology adoption is predicted to occur in different capitals around Africa at first, in some cities it has already begun. One of the leading smart cities in Africa is Kigali in Rwanda.

The Silicon Valley of Africa: Kigali Rwanda.

Smart infrastructure: sensors around the city measure air quality, monitor the power grid’s safety and detect water leaks.

Education: collaborating with renowned universities and offering talent from the whole continent a place to meet, learn, and develop.

Creating new jobs and driving the economy by technological advancement.

Situated between rolling hills, in a series of valleys, you find Kigali. It might not come as a surprise that the area of the smart city Kigali pretty soon got nicknamed ‘The Silicon Valley of Africa’.

Kigali is Rwanda’s capital, and the country’s economic heart focused on leapfrogging economic and social challenges. Everything in the smart city of Kigali is about improving the lives of the people in the town by providing knowledge and education. The effects of this strategy reach much further than just the town or country borders; talent from all over the African continent will be educated in Kigali.

Rwanda is already leading in technological advancement, which is one reason it is now one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. The city is hosting well-known international universities and tech companies. An immense operation has been started to provide a good living- and work environment for the people driving the smart city initiatives in Kigali. The construction project alone will create 50,000 jobs annually.

The main goal for Kigali is to attract the brightest tech talents in Africa. Bringing together tech organisations and talent has already been a crucial success factor in the American Silicon Valley, and Kigali chooses to follow this example. To speed up their smart city ambitions, Kigali reached out to an investment fund in infrastructure projects: Africa50. Although the pandemic might have caused some delay, Kigali is maintaining its strategic direction towards an even smarter city.

Rwanda’s capital is ambitious and not just in it for economic gain. This smart city also wants to find solutions for the challenges that public sector organisations and educational institutions face. Kigali is a great example of how the many possibilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) offer solutions to urban problems.