The Dar es Salaam Profiling Report is part of the African Cities Profiling project, which aims to enhance understanding of individual cities across the continent with a view to being able to allocate resources more optimally to ensure proficient service delivery. 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 influencing them.
The report supports local authorities by providing comparative data that facilitates learning from peers and incentivises improvements in underperforming areas. It also assists national governments in regulating and supporting local authorities. For citizens, the report offers accessible information on the developmental context of their cities, fostering transparency and engagement.
By profiling multiple cities using standardised measures, the project enables stakeholders – local authorities, national governments, and citizens – to compare cities, identify best practices and challenges, while fostering mutual learning. This comparative approach supports evidence-based decision-making and promotes improved governance, ultimately addressing urban challenges such as informal settlement growth and service delivery deficiencies.
For this report, where reference is made to comparative data for SADC cities, the following cities are used: Bulawayo, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Johannesburg, Lilongwe, Luanda, Lusaka, Maputo and Ndola.
