Africa’s 30 Most Attractive Cities

Jeune Afrique has published the second edition of its ranking of the 30 most attractive African cities. By offering a multidimensional analysis of African metropolises –combining residents’ perceptions with an objective assessment of economic attractiveness – this ranking has become an essential tool for understanding the major urban transformations shaping the continent.

For this second edition, Jeune Afrique has strengthened its methodology. The ranking is based on an opinion survey conducted with Sagaci Research among 7 877 residents of African cities to evaluate quality of life, infrastructure and housing, economic dynamism, and access to essential services. This is complemented by a detailed analysis of foreign direct investment between 2020 and 2023, as well as the inclusion of new cities in the study, such as Dar es Salaam, Marrakech, Mombasa, and Tangier, providing a more complete picture of Africa’s urban dynamics.

The Top 10 Cities Feature 3 From South Africa

1. Cairo
2. Kigali
3. Nairobi
4. Cape Town
5. Casablanca
6. Rabat
7. Johannesburg
8. Lagos
9. Pretoria
10. Tangier

One other South African city – Durban – appears in position 25 on the Top 30 list.

Cairo tops this year’s ranking, dethroning Cape Town. The Egyptian capital, benefiting from its geographic location, has seen an exceptional influx of foreign capital – particularly from the Gulf and China – and is supported by major urban development projects such as the New Administrative Capital, now one of the most striking symbols of national urban transformation strategies. Despite persistent challenges related to density, mobility, and pollution, Cairo clearly leads in economic attractiveness and FDI, propelling it to first place.

Kigali continues to earn praise for its remarkable quality of life and effective municipal governance. The Rwandan capital maintains its second-place position and reinforces its status as a model city on the continent, notably thanks to its clean urban environment, safety, and innovation strategy. Nairobi records the most notable rise on the podium. Despite sociopolitical tensions in recent months, the Kenyan capital reaches third place, supported by its ambition to position itself as a continental tech hub, as well as its major infrastructure and mobility projects and its attractiveness to investors.

As in 2024, Morocco and South Africa demonstrate their strength, each placing four cities in the top 30. Cape Town remains South Africa’s highest-ranked city, thanks to its infrastructure quality, economic dynamism, and quality of life, while Johannesburg continues to struggle with security and energy challenges. Casablanca, Morocco’s economic powerhouse, once again outranks Rabat. Tangier enters the top 10, driven by its globally recognized port-industrial complex.

The 2025 ranking also highlights a widening gap between francophone and anglophone urban ecosystems. Several major francophone West African metropolises, such as Abidjan or Dakar, drop in the ranking this year, either due to the entry of new cities or to more critical assessments from their residents. Conversely, several anglophone cities confirm their resilience, driven by dynamic domestic markets, ambitious infrastructure development strategies, and a stronger ability to attract international investment.

Another structural trend is confirmed: the rise of so-called secondary cities. Beyond South Africa and Morocco, cities such as Mombasa or Alexandria demonstrate that metropolitan attractiveness in Africa is no longer limited to traditional economic or political capitals.

Demographic growth, the development of logistics corridors, and the emergence of new industrial zones are reshaping the map of urban power across the continent. By 2050, some of these cities could even rival the historic metropolises.

“This ranking comes at a time when Africa is experiencing unprecedented urbanization. The number of city dwellers will double by 2050 to reach nearly 1.4 billion people. This places urban management at the heart of the continent’s development challenges. Faced with rapidly growing needs in infrastructure, housing, mobility, and essential services, African metropolises must invent new financing models, strengthen their governance capacities, and adapt to a constantly evolving climatic, social, and economic context,” explains Julien Wagner, journalist in charge of the ranking.

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