Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi;
Secretary General of Metropolis, Mr Octavi de la Varga;
South African Cities Network Board Chairperson, Ms Yolisa Kani;
Governors, Deputy Governors, Mayors and Deputy Mayors;
Leaders of delegations;
Fellow Africans:
 
Welcome to the session of the Forum of African Metropolises.
 
The meeting today is a continuation of the work we initiated in August 2018, where we as leaders of African metropolitan areas decided to establish a platform for Africa to champion the fight against many of the urban challenges faced in cities across this continent.
 
The Forum of African Metropolises (FAM), was established to analyse strategic challenges facing African Metropolitan cities, to promote shared learning, and to advance critical issues as part of the Global Development Agenda. While striving to improve the lives of our citizens for the better, we are also working within the ambit of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Agenda 2063.
 
As the second largest and the second most populous continent in the world, Africa has been witness to the highest migration rate in the world.
 
By 2050 more than a quarter of the world’s population will be in Africa.
 
In-migration from within Africa, coupled with the challenges of climate change, high poverty levels, slow economic growth, and a lack of modern infrastructure, requires a collective response from African metropolitan areas.
 
As we agreed in Marrakech, the Forum of African Metropolises helps to co-ordinate an African response to the specific challenges faced by major cities and city regions across the continent.
 
For centuries, people migrated to cities in search of better opportunities and improved quality of life. Urbanization has always been accompanied by industrialization, with a consequent concentration of infrastructure, firms, better jobs and a better quality of life for city dwellers.
 
However, cities in the South and developing world have been characterized by inadequate infrastructure, informality, high rate of unemployment, deep inequalities, grime and crime.
 
In addition, rapid and unplanned urbanisation, as well as climate change have combined to place cities and city regions under tremendous pressure.
 
African cities and city regions face these challenges and pressures with increasing inability to offer inclusive urbanism and ensure that the urban promise delivers a better life for citizens.  
 
One of the major reasons why we need this Forum of African Metropolises is to ensure that African Metropolises have a common African approach to the New Urban Agenda, the African Union Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
 
Earlier generations of African leaders had one mission on which they delivered: to end colonial occupation and usher independence.
 
However, independence was just the beginning of a process to ensure that Africans take charge of the destiny of their mother continent. The ultimate goal is to achieve Africa’s structural transformation and sustainable development in line with our dream of a better Africa, the Africa we want.
 
For far too long, we have left this task of building a better Africa to national leaders. This must change. Everything happens in our localities - in cities and regions. African Mayors and Governors have to play a more active role in pushing the sustainable develoment goals and Agenda 2063.
 
As Governors and Mayors of major cities and urban regions, we must be in the forefront of promoting investment, industrialization, economic integration, intra-Africa Trade and social cohesion.
 
It is against this background that the Gauteng Provincial Government, under my leadership, has been hosting  the Africa Investment Forum, together with the African Development Bank for two successive years, to promote investment into infrastructure across our continent.  
 
As I speak, today we will conclude the Second Edition of the Africa Investment Forum which started on Monday. It has been successful in bringing together more than two thousand investors from 109 countries with 48 African countries to come and undertake transactions that will fund major cross-border infrastructure projects that will change the face of Africa forever.
 
The investments are about connecting and industrialising Africa and creating the much needed jobs and local enterprises for women and youth, who are Africa’s most powerful resource, way beyond minerals and arable land.  
 
Of Africa’s nearly 420 million youth, one third are unemployed and discouraged, another third are vulnerably employed, and only one in six is in wage employment. This paints a dire picture of the future facing the current generation.
 
One of the most striking aspects of migration in Africa is that most migrants move within the region, mainly to neighbouring countries. With this comes opportunities to harness talent, labour and entrepreneurial youth.
 
However, on the flip side there are economic and social challenges that require a collaborative approach in Africa to overcome the challenges of migration while simultaneously enhancing the developmental opportunities associated with migration.  
 
I alluded to the lack of infrastructure in Africa as an impediment to development of our continent. It is envisaged that this will be tackled by the economic transformation agenda of the Africa Investment Forum, especially in the light of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.
 
I have made a strong case for the inclusion of mayors and governors in the Africa Investment Forum and have agreed with the President of the African Development Bank that, in early 2020, I will visit the African Development Bank in Abidjan, with a delegation from the Forum for African Metroplises and the UCLG Africa to come and discuss the financing instruments for infrastructure projects of cities and regions.
 
We cannot be left behind.
 
I would also like to report that I met with Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State in Nigeria during the Africa Investment Forum. He is the Chairperson of the State Governors in Nigeria. We have agreed that Nigeria cannot be left out of the UGLC, Metropolis and Forum of African Metropolis. He will invite me and Mr Mbassi in early 2020 to come and address the Governors and Mayors of major cities and regions.
 
We have to ensure that no major city and urban region is left behind. We can only be stronger together.  
 
Today I am proud to launch the African Metropolitan Report which was done by Metropolis and specifically the Metropolis Observatory. In 2019, the Metropolis Observatory decided to launch a system of metropolitan indicators, which allow comparison of various metropolises across the world.
 
Africa was chosen to start the series not only because it is one of the fastest urbanising regions in the world, but also as Africa is our host continent this week for the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders.
 
To give you an idea of the scope of this research, the initial work included a total of 2,789 data points about 58 metropolitan spaces from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
 
Eighteen Metropolis members in Africa were analysed, amongst them Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Cairo - Egypt’s Ministry of Housing, City of Harare, City of Johannesburg, Commune de Rabat, Commune de Tunis, Commune Urbaine d’Antananarivo, Ethekwini Municipality (Durban), Gauteng Provincial Government, and Ville de Dakar.
 
Data is a key tool in decision making, research, debate and policy development. This report is a key input as we consider our next steps as the Forum of African Metropolises in looking at a unified agenda to address urbanisation. I believe that this report can assist with evidence-based governance across Africa.
 
The African Metropolitan Report states that in 2015, there were 65 African urban conurbations that each accommodated over one million residents. Together, these conurbations accommodate approximately 192 million people.
 
The average population of the 17 African metropolises studied is 4.3 million, smaller than the international average of 7.5 million. Cairo and Johannesburg are the largest urban areas. Population density is relatively high compared to world averages, but varies significantly across African metropolises.
 
The total number of people living in African urban areas is steadily increasing and is expected to continue to do so. The fast pace of this growth presents a significant governance challenge for governments in trying to address the increasing demand for the provision of basic services, infrastructure, health, social and transport services.
 
African metropolises have more than double the world average in terms of poverty rates and significantly lower GDP per capita. Furthermore, unemployment levels are more than double the international average. African metropolises under great pressure to perform their duties and provide services within severe economic constraints.
 
Factors such as poverty, inequality, and access to educational facilities hinder literacy rates and therefore literacy rates in Africa are low. Women have lower literacy rates than men.
 
Women are also less likely to be employed with lower levels of women in the workforce.
 
Women, youth and other vulnerable groups suffer with limited access to decent jobs, social services, housing, public transport, and other services and goods. Gender inequalities are reflected in low protection from human rights violations and inadequate inclusion of disadvantaged groups in urban planning, design and legislation.
 
The health of citizens is impacted on by access to services and the impacts of climate change.
 
Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its dependency on climate related activities.
 
Generally, residents of informal settlements have low levels of access to services.
 
Other key findings of the African Metropolitan Report are that the average life expectancy in African metropolises is lower than that for other worldwide metropolises. Life expectancy is highest in North Africa, while women across Africa have a longer life expectancy than men. Life expectancy is generally higher in urban areas than in more rural areas due to increased access to a range of government services.
 
The African Metropolitan Report presents us with an opportunity as African metropolises to look at lessons learnt and to plan for the future. The United Nations states that worldwide migrations are decreasing. This report states that although the urbanisation rates are decreasing Africa will have to accommodate an additional one billion people in the next thirty-five years. By 2035, Africa will be predominantly urbanised. This is the reality facing Africa.
 
We, as the Forum of African Metropolises, now need to take this report and translate it into building blocks for the desired future for generations to come. We need a single, integrated agenda for African urban development. In this way, we will be building unity in Africa, and also be closer to meeting our Sustainable Development Goals and the key tenets of the African Union Agenda 2063.
 
Africa cannot continue with business as usual. We need new approaches to urban governance including planning, funding and co-ordination. New sustainable methods of infrastructure provision must be considered to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Urban innovation must underpin these approaches.
 
As the Forum of African Metropolises, we will have to take the lead in identifying common problems with sustainable and innovative solutions. We must learn from best practises from around the world while localising solutions to provide a uniquely African solution.
 
Solidarity and collaboration between metropolitan regions is crucial. Without unity, our vision for the future will not be realised.
 
In improving the lives of our citizens through a unified agenda for the transformation of Africa, we will build the Africa we want.
 
Asante sana. Merci buku. Munto brigado. Siyabonga. Thank you.