The Lilongwe City Profile Report is part of the African Cities Profiling project, which aims to enhance our understanding of individual cities across the 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 requires a comprehensive understanding of city dynamics and the factors influencing them.
The report supports local authorities by providing comparative data to facilitate 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 foster mutual learning. This supports evidence-based decision-making and promotes improved governance to address urban challenges such as informal settlement growth.
This report for Lilongwe is one of 10 cities in the SADC region for which GGA is preparing city profiles, the others being: Bulawayo and Harare (Zimbabwe), Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Luanda (Angola), Lusaka and Ndola (Zambia) and Maputo (Mozambique). The cities were selected as a blend of primary and secondary cities in the region. Where relevant, comparisons are drawn with these other cities. The report utilises available data to provide insights into key challenges and opportunities that shape the city’s development.
