These cities are the hubs of Africa’s economic boom
South Africa is no longer the only place on the continent that has urban wealth clusters
- The wealth of Africans is projected to grow by a third over the next decade
- The continent's wealth is agglomerating in a number of urban clusters, in the south, east and west
- Wealth is collected in a few other places - isolated capitals and mini-clusters stretching from Morocco down to Angola
1. Johannesburg (South Africa): $276 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTg4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzIxNzkyMX0.y5i1m2-gftKlfEU5J4WoOf4mqm7QOd-Tv1W1Dx5Ommo/img.jpg?width=980" id="f1ccd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="42eb371f9666c44309d94bfb0acd4e33" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Jo'burg city centre.
Image: Brand South Africa
<p>Fittingly, Africa's richest city was built on gold – on the Witwatersrand Gold Rush of 1886, to be exact. It's the commercial capital of South Africa and the wider region.</p>2. Cape Town (South Africa): $155 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTkyMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzE1NzE1M30.y4jF0cdZZn5Wpd2_i3Hwky1zCVngHYj7NxqUjmpEOQA/img.jpg?width=980" id="72bbd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="891819248db0454bfd4df21b9278886a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />View of Cape Town's City Bowl from Lion's Head, with Signal Hill and Cape Flats in the distance
Image: Martin Power, CC BY-SA 3.0
<p>The city with Africa's highest prime residential rates, at around $6,100 per square metre (similar to DC or Berlin) also is an important hub for financial services, retail and tourism. <br></p>3. Cairo (Egypt): $140 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTkxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzIwMDM4Mn0.AWGrboRDiKp5JpkUDeVN_EaBBKVUBoBIGjtbad7lQZM/img.jpg?width=980" id="09010" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2a8c1739d3aea2a1ffc61ab6b8137724" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Rooftops of Cairo
Image: Luc Legay, CC BY-SA 2.0
<p>Real estate, financial services and construction are some of the key sectors in this city of 9 million, the biggest metropolis in the Middle East. <br></p>4. Lagos (Nigeria): $108 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTkxNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTI3Nzk2N30.cgWpflGOb31KRphqwjl9TDq5jKD-7FBWt3p7Mk__oq8/img.jpg?width=980" id="d3a1a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1d184c254b90e00ac8205f2e7d420634" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />The Golden Plaza in Ikoyi, Lagos. On the left the Falomo Bridge to Victoria Island
Image: Ulf Ryttgens, CC BY-SA 1.0
<p>It may no longer be the country's capital, Lagos still is the gateway for 80% of Nigeria's exports – and the centre of the burgeoning film industry, a.k.a. Nollywood. At 21 million inhabitants (2016 est.), it's Africa's largest metropolis, as well as one of the world's fastest-growing cities.<br></p>5. Durban (South Africa): $55 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTkxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjQ4MjY4OH0.Dat_zbNLaJWqQvIRJQTvl4ja2kVJuUcP1drKWyFkenU/img.jpg?width=980" id="40af6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f3aece3edb4eccc12577e298dad370df" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Indian Ocean beach at Durban
Image: Brand South Africa
<p>Subtropical Durban is South Africa's third-biggest city (after Johannesburg and Cape Town), second-biggest manufacturing hub and biggest port, as well as a major tourist destination. Durban's Gateway Theatre of Shopping is Africa's biggest mall. It has 12,000 parking slots, 390 stores, 90 restaurants, more than a dozen movie theatres (including an IMAX theatre), a skate park designed by Tony Hawk, and the highest fountain in Africa.<br></p>6. Nairobi (Kenya): $54 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTkxMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzQ4NTI5NX0.V9a7ctArcPCqwHHKKzzCAOBtJ5kz7wLzXlxTQU7y9XE/img.jpg?width=980" id="821a2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="caf1f49586fe742473086e05c1495a8e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Nairobi skyline
Image: © Sam Stearman
<p>Kenya's capital and largest city (metro area: 7 million) Nairobi is also known as the Green City in the Sun. Founded in 1899 by the British as a rail depot, the city today is home to thousands of Kenyan businesses, as well as the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Africa's 4th-largest stock exchange; and regional hub for hundreds of multinationals.<br></p>7. Luanda (Angola): $49 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTkwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDE1NjU1NH0._dNmmqRnH_qEW2R8Qi3wbLdCT0z5XvZ7I7dl1pqqMgc/img.jpg?width=980" id="c48d7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="564bf8602eab48e56023fae1a9ff611e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />View of Luanda's harbour, with the Restinga peninsula in the background
Image: OneVillage Initiative, CC BY-SA 2.0
<p>Luanda is the biggest city, major port and capital of Angola – and its metro area is home to one in three Angolans. While the majority of Luandans live in poverty, the booming oil and gas industry has created huge wealth for a minority (as well as a boom in banking and building). Luanda is one of the world's most expensive cities for ex-pats, in part because of high import tariffs imposed to help pay for diversifying the economy.<br></p>8. Pretoria (South Africa): $48 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTkwNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MTk0MjAzN30.IKyWH8NX9YX9B2KDue79uL4d0XlOEjxwVGcm4GhdyFw/img.jpg?width=980" id="1a38e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3d5b4aa3d632efc1657a0f53a7a92639" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Pretoria's central business district, seen from Muckleneuk Hill
Image: Petrus Potgieter/public domain
<p>The administrative capital of South Africa and the hub of the wider Tshwane metro area, Pretoria is also a centre for academia and R&D, as well as commerce and industry, including metalworks to car factories.<br></p>9. Casablanca (Morocco): $42 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTkwMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTMwMTM1NH0.zeyU9eprek8CmEoVuh0WV-marYAqiswT3IotLHDevlk/img.jpg?width=980" id="afbf0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dd69383a938965af49ccc8ca9f2106c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Dawn over Casablanca
Image: Achalhikarim, CC BY-SA 4.0
<p>Officially <em>ad-Dar al-Bayda</em> in Arabic but informally known as <em>Kaza</em>, Casablanca is the largest city in the entire Maghreb region (metro area: 7 million), and its economic hub. It is important both as port city and financial centre. Major Moroccan and multinational companies are headquartered here rather than in the political capital Rabat. <br></p>10. Accra (Ghana): $38 billion
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY4OTg5Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTY0NTQ2MH0.KqINGYxTikHKZlRMRxnub0ghpA2612OC33WeLf1Pick/img.jpg?width=980" id="ed546" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9a482a195fe5feec06b19c62da1bc1af" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Independence Arch in Accra
<p>A merger of coastal settlements around British, Dutch and Danish coastal forts, Accra in 1957 became the capital of sub-Saharan Africa's first independent nation. Today, it is a centre for manufacturing, marketing, finance, insurance, and transportation.</p>Republicans face growing pressure to delay Kavanaugh confirmation vote
On Sunday, a woman accused the Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault in an interview with the Washington Post.
- The woman claims Kavanaugh drunkenly forced himself on her in the early 1980s.
- Democrats hope to delay the confirmation vote, which is scheduled for Thursday.
- A delay could possibly push the vote until after the midterms, when Democrats could potentially overtake the senate.
A possible delay of Kavanaugh’s confirmation
<p>All 10 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is controlled by 11 Republicans, have called for a delay in the confirmation vote scheduled Thursday.</p><p>"Now that her story is public, it is even more important that we give the Bureau the time it needs to follow up," the Democrats wrote in a letter to Republican Sen. <a href="https://thehill.com/people/chuck-grassley" target="_blank">Chuck Grassley</a> of Iowa, the chairman of the committee. "All Senators, regardless of party, should insist the FBI perform its due diligence and fully investigate the allegations as part of its review of Judge Kavanaugh's background."</p><p>The Democrats need just one Republican objection to force a delay on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Such an objection could come from Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who said he wants to learn more about the allegations before the vote.</p><p>"I've made it clear that I'm not comfortable moving ahead with the vote on Thursday if we have not heard her side of the story or explored this further," he told the <em>Post</em>. </p><p>Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, responded in a statement to the <em>Post</em>: "I agree with Senator Flake that we should delay this week's vote. There's a lot of information we don't know and the FBI should have the time it needs to investigate this new material. Staff calls aren't the appropriate way to handle this."</p><p>Democrats hope to delay Kavanaugh's confirmation long enough to prevent him from joining the high court in time for its fall term beginning Oct. 1 or even until the midterm elections in November, when Republicans could lose control of the senate.</p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODYzMDc4MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDc4NTg3N30.y04jUsth-BcuZM7aN_6Q0ivnFgCWhL9ePG0MAfHZJf0/img.jpg?width=980" id="d6ee0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a0a77ed0437a2c7f416ad40b149d9146" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Republicans face growing pressure to delay Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing until the FBI has time to investigate Christine Blasey Ford's allegations.
(Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
How the allegations arose
<p>In July, Ford first raised the allegations to her congresswoman, Democrat Anna G. Eshoo. Soon after, a letter detailing the allegations was sent through Eshoo's office to Senator Feinstein.</p><p>"I felt guilty and compelled as a citizen about the idea of not saying anything," Ford <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/17/us/politics/kavanaugh-allegations-ford-palo-alto.html" target="_blank">said</a>.</p><p>Ford then contacted Feinstein directly about the allegations and requested to remain anonymous. </p><p>But news of the allegations spread quickly through Washington and then through the media. Last week, multiple outlets reported the general contents of the letter but didn't publish Ford's name. Feinstein released a statement:</p><p>"I have received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court," she said. "That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities."</p><p>But Ford decided to break her anonymity, citing civic duty and inaccuracies in media reports as her reasons.</p><p>"These are all the ills that I was trying to avoid," Ford told the <em>Post</em>. "Now I feel like my civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and my terror about retaliation."</p><p>Kavanaugh has "categorically and unequivocally" denied the allegations, saying he "did not do this back in high school or at any time." The friend of Kavanaugh who was said to participate in the alleged incident, Mark Judge, also denied the claims.</p><p>"It never happened," he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/16/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford-sexual-assault.html" target="_blank">told the <em>New York Times</em></a>. "I never saw anything like what was described." Further, he said it did not match Mr. Kavanaugh's character: "It is not who he is."</p><p>Last week, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a letter written by 65 women who said they knew Kavanaugh from their high-school days: </p><p>"We are women who have known Brett Kavanaugh for more than 35 years and knew him while he attended high school between 1979 and 1983. For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect. We strongly believe it is important to convey this information to the Committee at this time."</p><p>In August, Ford took a polygraph test administered by a former F.B.I. agent. The results, which were provided to the <em>Post </em>by Ford's attorney, Debra Katz, a Washington lawyer known for taking on high-profile sexual harassment cases, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/california-professor-writer-of-confidential-brett-kavanaugh-letter-speaks-out-about-her-allegation-of-sexual-assault/2018/09/16/46982194-b846-11e8-94eb-3bd52dfe917b_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f94365a6fb0a" target="_blank">reportedly indicated that Ford was being truthful about the allegations</a>.</p>