South Africa, like most developing nations, is plagued with systemic issues of which the ongoing energy crisis has become chief among poverty, unemployment and inequality. Plans for more digitised, networked, and connected urban areas are facing a challenge. Load-shedding has become an anomaly in South African cities, significantly impacting the urban economy. The power supply […]
In 2002, South African Internet entrepreneur and space tourist Mark Shuttleworth lent his name to Cape Town’s new e-commerce hub in the city’s central business district (CBD). At the time, the Cape Town Partnership was striving to create South Africa’s own – and first – e-city. The idea, according to then-Partnership CEO Michael Farr, was to create a
Rabie Property Group (Pty) Ltd recently announced that it had successfully leased over 30 000m2 of commercial and office space in its 250-hectare Century City development, in the Western Cape. The Group attributed this to the growing demand for office space in ‘smart cities’ and defines these as precincts in which living, work, shopping, and relaxation spaces
The ANC is working on plans for a new South African smart city between Port St Johns and Margate on the country’s Wild Coast, the Sunday Times reports. National Executive Committee (NEC) member and minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma presented the plan at the ANC’s NEC lekgotla earlier this month. Dlamini-Zuma said the
South Africa must start small with its smart city ambitions, taking a ‘bite-sized’ approach and building on from there. So says Rahul Ghosh, director of Enterprise Singapore for Middle East and Africa, sharing best-practices South Africa can learn from the Asian city-state that is considered to be the poster child for smart cities around the world. Enterprise
Smart cities offer a multitude of advantages for government and residents. They use technology and data to improve their efficiency and the lives of their residents, and to ensure that they are environmentally sustainable. Take Singapore, for example. From digital health care to contactless payments systems, near-universal broadband and energy-efficient buildings, Singapore has become the
The smart city, as defined by Wikipedia, is a ‘technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data’. Forrester says it is interconnected systems that optimise services and improve citizen experiences. And these intelligent environments are considered to potentially be the best route for Africa, which has the highest urban growth
The smart city approach has been recognised for its wide-ranging principles and flexibility that allow cities to tailor approaches to the local and national challenges facing them. Countries considered to be smart have adapted the smart agenda to respond to local challenges (Mosco, 2019). Similarly, South African cities need to interpret the smart city concept
While a smart city needs high-quality, predictable and affordable public transport, the aim is to reduce the need for public transport as much as possible. Two years after President Ramaphosa announced his dream for a South African smart city, the draft Greater Lanseria Master Plan (GLMP) has been completed by a team of professionals appointed
The Department of Human Settlements says that progress is being made on the Mooikloof Mega City development in Gauteng, with the first residential apartments in the project being ready for occupation in 2023. Mooikloof Mega City was announced by president Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020, planned as a massive smart city project east of Pretoria. The