- Africa increased its representation in the IMD Smart City Index from six cities in 2019 to nine in 2026, although none has yet entered the global top 100.
- The IMD report identifies governance and institutional capacity, rather than technology alone, as the strongest predictor of smart city performance.
- Rabat and Abuja improved through governance reforms, while Cairo, Lagos and Nairobi continued to face structural constraints despite digital investments
Africa has expanded its presence in the IMD Business School Smart City Index, increasing the number of ranked cities from six in 2019 to nine in 2026. However, the continent still has no city among the world's top 100, as governance and institutional capacity continue to lag behind technological investment.
The annual ranking evaluates digital quality of life across major global cities through two dimensions: technology availability and structures, including institutions, public services and living conditions.
In 2026, the African cities included in the index were Rabat in Morocco, Cairo in Egypt, Cape Town in South Africa, Algiers in Algeria, Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria, Nairobi in Kenya, Accra in Ghana and Tunis in Tunisia. The expanded representation reflects growing digital investment across the continent.
However, none of the nine cities has entered the global top 100 during the seven editions of the index. The report consistently shows that most African cities score higher on technology than on institutional structures. The ranking concludes that institutional structures provide the strongest predictor of overall smart city performance. Consequently, African cities could accelerate their progress by investing as heavily in governance as they do in digital technology.
Cities Making Progress
Some African cities have already started to rebalance that equation. Rabat led the continental ranking in 2026 and continued its steady improvement from previous editions. The city achieved that progress through a long-term strategy launched in 2020 that combined digital municipal services, citizen participation mechanisms and stronger alignment between national policies and local governance. Morocco's Digital Development Agency coordinated the initiative.
Abuja followed a similar trajectory. The Nigerian capital became the only African city to improve its ranking in 2026, gaining two places. The city advanced by implementing governance reforms before expanding technological deployments.
By contrast, Cairo fell from 108th place in 2023 to 125th in 2026 despite significant investment in digital infrastructure. Lagos, Africa's largest economic hub, remained among the continent's lowest-ranked cities. Nairobi, despite hosting one of Africa's most dynamic technology ecosystems, also struggled because of similar structural weaknesses. These trends indicate where future reforms should focus.
Building on Local Realities Instead of Imported Models
Jérôme Chenal, an architect, urban planner and director of the Excellence in Africa Centre at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), said Africa already possesses many characteristics of smart cities. "The smart city has existed in Africa for a long time. You just need to open your eyes to see how social groups organize themselves." He urged African governments to strengthen and formalize locally developed solutions instead of replicating models designed elsewhere.
Chenal also highlighted a common weakness in many large-scale smart city projects across the continent. "The smart city, as it is imagined in these large projects, comes with enormous electricity costs." He said that challenge remains critical for cities that continue to experience frequent power outages.
The assessment aligns with the World Bank's Digital Progress and Trends 2025 report. The institution concluded that stronger data governance, regulatory and institutional reforms, and investment in human capital remain essential for digital technologies to generate economic value. The same principle applies to cities, where urban technologies deliver their full potential only when capable institutions manage them effectively for residents.
Progress Remains a Work in Progress
Concrete initiatives continue to emerge across the continent. Kigali, although absent from the IMD ranking, frequently serves as a model for digital urban governance in Africa through its combination of e-government, digitized public services and a clear regulatory framework.
In Senegal, the municipality of Mékhé, located about 150 kilometers from Dakar, has digitized civil registry services, geolocated its municipal vehicle fleet and launched a digital platform dedicated to local artisans.
Chenal, who currently works on digital development cooperation programs within the African Cities Lab, said policymakers should: "Borrow from tradition what is truly useful, necessary and sustainable." He added that governments should adapt solutions to each city's specific realities.
Nevertheless, Africa still lacks large-scale, measurable and well-documented outcomes. Most smart city initiatives remain at the deployment or planning stage. The IMD rankings have highlighted the same pattern for seven consecutive years: the continent faces less of an ambition deficit than a persistent gap between strategic intentions and effective institutional implementation.
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Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: Ecofin Agency, 30.07.2026
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