Cities
What is being built in southern Africa's cities
What went up between 2016 and 2023, where people live, every supermarket and shopping centre by chain, how long it takes to reach them and the power, water and transport networks around them. 12 cities so far. Johannesburg and Pretoria added the most building footprint; Kinshasa grew fastest, by 82%.
South AfricaJohannesburg and Pretoria11.7 million people in the area mapped111 km² of new building since 2016 (30% more)2,596 supermarkets · 1,158 shopping centresDRCKinshasa13.0 million people in the area mapped28.4 km² of new building since 2016 (82% more)128 supermarkets · 41 shopping centresAngolaLuanda12.3 million people in the area mapped43.5 km² of new building since 2016 (53% more)177 supermarkets · 39 shopping centresTanzaniaDar es Salaam9.3 million people in the area mapped54.5 km² of new building since 2016 (56% more)310 supermarkets · 53 shopping centresSouth AfricaCape Town4.6 million people in the area mapped38.4 km² of new building since 2016 (37% more)976 supermarkets · 295 shopping centresSouth AfricaDurban3.5 million people in the area mapped31.4 km² of new building since 2016 (31% more)581 supermarkets · 217 shopping centresZimbabweHarare2.6 million people in the area mapped26.4 km² of new building since 2016 (48% more)154 supermarkets · 69 shopping centresZambiaLusaka4.0 million people in the area mapped28.9 km² of new building since 2016 (51% more)169 supermarkets · 105 shopping centresMozambiqueMaputo and Matola3.7 million people in the area mapped25.5 km² of new building since 2016 (55% more)125 supermarkets · 33 shopping centresMalawiLilongwe1.6 million people in the area mapped13.7 km² of new building since 2016 (62% more)53 supermarkets · 17 shopping centresBotswanaGaborone470,000 people in the area mapped8.3 km² of new building since 2016 (50% more)128 supermarkets · 49 shopping centresNamibiaWindhoek445,000 people in the area mapped5.4 km² of new building since 2016 (42% more)110 supermarkets · 36 shopping centres
Johannesburg and Pretoria added the most building
Building footprint added between mid-2016 and mid-2023 in each area mapped.
New building per person
Square metres of footprint added, 2016 to 2023, for each person living in the area mapped (2025 estimate).
The cities side by side
| City | People | Footprint, 2023 | New since 2016 | Supermarkets per 100,000 | More than 15 minutes' drive from one |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg and Pretoria | 11.7 million | 477 km² | 111 km² (30%) | 22.3 | 21,000 |
| Kinshasa | 13.0 million | 63.2 km² | 28.4 km² (82%) | 1.0 | 408,000 |
| Luanda | 12.3 million | 126 km² | 43.5 km² (53%) | 1.4 | 631,000 |
| Dar es Salaam | 9.3 million | 153 km² | 54.5 km² (56%) | 3.3 | 301,000 |
| Cape Town | 4.6 million | 142 km² | 38.4 km² (37%) | 21.2 | 6,521 |
| Durban | 3.5 million | 134 km² | 31.4 km² (31%) | 16.5 | 162,000 |
| Harare | 2.6 million | 82.1 km² | 26.4 km² (48%) | 6.0 | 201,000 |
| Lusaka | 4.0 million | 86.2 km² | 28.9 km² (51%) | 4.2 | 91,000 |
| Maputo and Matola | 3.7 million | 71.6 km² | 25.5 km² (55%) | 3.4 | 205,000 |
| Lilongwe | 1.6 million | 35.8 km² | 13.7 km² (62%) | 3.3 | 209,000 |
| Gaborone | 470,000 | 24.9 km² | 8.3 km² (50%) | 27.2 | 15,000 |
| Windhoek | 445,000 | 18.1 km² | 5.4 km² (42%) | 24.7 | 552 |
Each city is measured over the same kind of area (the built-up city and a ring around it), not official city limits.
What each city map holds
- Free: the headline figures, new building and people on a map of areas of about 5 km², growth by distance from the centre, the long-run picture since 1975 and the biggest chains.
- Individual: the detailed map, in areas of about 0.74 km² (building by year, heights, people, drive and walk times to a supermarket), every building by the year it first appears, every shop and service by chain, shopping centre catchments, and power and water networks.
- Professional: catchments drawn for any site, by car or on foot, with the people, new building and competing shops inside them.