Big Cities in Africa-Top 10: Africa is one fast-growing continent and remains a powerhouse of resources, ideas, and innovation, hosting a sovereign of 54 countries. Each of these countries boasts of beautiful cities. The most significant drivers of the economy in these countries are tourism, agriculture, natural resources, and trade.
In this article, you will be introduced to a list of Africa’s biggest cities and metropolitan regions by their metric sizes.
1. Kinshasa City
Kinshasa City is the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital city and one of the biggest cities in central Africa. It is located next to the Congo River, the second-longest river in Africa, and it covers a 9,965 km² area with about 11 million people. In the list of franco-phone cities, it is listed as the second-largest French-speaking city in the world.
Kinshasa is known for its great cultural diversity. It is considered a ‘creative city of music and the basinet of Congolese rumba, a popular dance music genre shaped by many international influences. It is also a tourist hub that hosts the world’s largest waterfall by volume, Inga Falls, according to the Guinness World Records.
2. Cairo City-Big Cities in Africa
Covering around 3,085 km², with an estimated population of 22 million, Greater Cairo is the capital city of Egypt and one of the biggest cities in Africa and the Middle East.
Lying on the banks of the River Nile, Cairo hosts a long, colorful, and turbulent history of Egypt. It is known for having the renowned Giza Pyramids which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid, the world’s oldest and most giant statue of the Sphinx, and the house of mummification, the Valley temple.
Cairo serves as a center of commerce, finance, and government services. The city is well known for textile and food processing, iron and steel production, and consumer goods production, some of the top job-creating sectors in the city.
3. Alexandria City-Big Cities in Africa
Alexandria is the second-biggest city in Egypt, lying on a 2679km2 area. It was founded by Alexandria the Great in 331 BC.
Alexandria houses four ports which are; the western port that handles 60% of Egypt’s imports and exports, the Eastern port – the cruisers harbor, Dekhela port, and the Abu Qir Port for commercials; therefore, it is vital to the country’s economy as an industrial and commercial center. It also serves as a Mediterranean port and a beach city famous for its tourism destinations.
4. Durban city
Durban is located in South Africa, and it lies in a 2292 km2 area.
It is loved for the warm, subtropical weather and vast, fabulous beaches, therefore, counting as a fundamental destination for tourism. In 2014 it was rated as “The Coolest City in South Africa’ by CNN.
Durban hosts have an underground aquarium in The uShaka Marine World and are designed around shipwrecks, the fifth largest aquarium globally.
5. Abidjan City-Big Cities in Africa
Abidjan is one of Africa’s most significant cities and an economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire, formerly known as Ivory Coast, covering 2,119 km2. It’s the world’s third-largest French-speaking city after Kinshasa in DR Congo and Paris in France.
Abidjan is ranked the sixth most populous city in Africa.
Tourism is slowly growing in Ivory Coast, but the city offers a mix of French traditions and West African techniques and ingredientsand turns them into a fabulous culinary adventure. Abidjan is the vibrant hub of commerce, banking, trade, fashion in Côte d’Ivoire.
6. Johannesburg City
Commonly known as Jo’burg or Jozi, this is one of the biggest cities situated in the heart of South Africa; it lies on 1,645 km² in the wealthiest province, Gauteng, in South Africa.
Are you thinking of a modern, developed, NYC-like, young, vibrant place? Johannesburg offers this kind of feeling.
The global city is intriguing in many ways; it is the center of large-scale gold (hence referred to as ‘City of Gold) and diamond mining; it also serves one of the busiest airports and hosts one of the tallest buildings on the continent.
The megalopolis is a continental economic hub for technology, mining, manufacturing, retail and other services, including hospitality.
7. Dar Es Salaam City-Big Cities in Africa
The city’s name is an Arabic phrase meaning Haven of peace. Located on the Swahili Coast, it is Tanzania’s most prominent and former capital city, with a total area of 1,590 km².
Though it’s no longer a capital city, it is the leading financial center with the highest trade concentration.
While the city attracts tourists with its pristine beaches, monuments, artisan centers, shopping centers, restaurants, nightclubs, museums, and botanical gardens, it is Tanzania’s go-to city for fashion, music, film, media, television, and arts.
8. Lagos City
Lagos is the capital city of Nigeria, covering approximately 1,171 km². It is also the sixth-largest city in the world by city population which is about 21 million; therefore, it remains the most populous city.
It is known for its vibrant cultural heritage, different ethnicities, natural splendor, large population, beach resorts, nightlife, and most popular film industry, Nollywood.
It is a major financial and economic center for the country, and Lagos port is responsible for processing 80% of goods in Nigeria.
9. Khartoum City-Big Cities in Africa
Khartoum is the capital of Sudan and one of the biggest cities lying on a 1,010 km² area with a population of about 5 million. With its metropolitan area is being the largest in Sudan, Khartoum is situated at the confluence of the White Nile.
Khartoum is a prime trade and communication center with railway lines linking to Egypt, Port Sudan, and Al-Ubayyid.
10. Nairobi City
Traditionally Nairobi is referred to as the ‘green city under the sun. The 696 km² city is Kenya’s capital and largest city.
The country is a notably known iconic tourist hub for its vast and beautiful landscapes, wildlife, and a coastline on the Indian Ocean.
For East and Central Africa, it serves as an established hub of tourism, commerce, technology, industry, and finance. This urban contributes up to 60% of the country’s GDP.
Did you know Nairobi boasts of being the only city bordered by a game reserve in the world?
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