The Cape Town City Profile Report is part of the African Cities Profiling Project, an initiative of Good Governance Africa to enhance our understanding of individual cities across the African continent with a view to improving government effectiveness and empowering citizens to hold their governments to account.
With Africa’s rapid urbanisation, cities face significant challenges, including the growth of informal settlements and deficiencies in service delivery. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive understanding of city dynamics and the factors that influence them.
The reports provide standardised, comparative data on multiple cities, enabling local authorities to learn from peers, identify best practices, and address underperforming areas. They also support national government in its regulatory and oversight role, while offering citizens accessible information that promotes transparency and engagement. By facilitating evidence-based decision-making across stakeholders, the reports help strengthen urban governance and address key challenges such as informal settlement growth and service delivery deficiencies.
This report is one of a series of ten reports profiling cities in the SADC region. The other cities’ profiles are: Bulawayo and Harare (Zimbabwe), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Johannesburg (South Africa), Luanda (Angola), Lusaka (Zambia), Lilongwe (Malawi) and Maputo and Ndola (Mozambique).
These cities have been selected as a blend of primary and secondary cities in the region. Where relevant, the reports draw comparisons between cities and utilise available data to provide insights into key challenges and opportunities that shape city development.
