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More about AFRICA123 initiative
General Information
What is AFRICA123?
AFRICA123 is a private sector led continental urban development framework addressing the needs of a rapidly urbanising Africa through the design and development of 123 new Regenerative SMARTER Build (Regenerative SMARTERu-Urban) cities.
Who is AFRICA123?
Regen Africa will coordinate the SMARTER principles including the business planning and corporate structures of the new city project, whilst communiTgrow addresses the technical and content needed to define distinctive contextually based African cities of the future that include communiTgrow 6 pillars: Economy, Housing, Education, Healthcare, Regenerative Systems Design, Governance. The Collab Innovation teams provide situational regenerative and circular economy based solutions to the construction, operations, and living processes of these cities by design.
Where are they based?
The company has offices in Cape Town, South Africa, Accra, Ghana and Port Louis, Mauritius
Who is the team?
The core team comprises development specialists, property development practitioners, urban and regional planners, financial experts, business partners and investors. This team has specialists as strategic alliance partners that support the processes and systems that they engage.
Which projects are they involved with?
The AFRICA123 group is currently involved with projects in South Africa and Ghana as pilot projects in preparation to launch the continent-wide AFRICA123 initiative to develop one hundred and twenty three new Regenerative SMARTER Build cities across Africa.
How is Regenerative SMARTERu-Urban City making done?
The AFRICA123 group A Regenerative SMARTERu-Urban city is a development at scale, which kickstarts a local economy initially through addressing a country’s housing deficit, and in-turn regenerates key resources and natural systems that the new Regenerative SMARTERu-Urban city draws its materials, resources and sustenance.
Do these projects subscribe to the Agenda 2063 Aspirations and UN SDG Goals?
The AFRICA123 continental urban development framework is fully aligned with the all 7 Aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063 and all 17 of the United Nations SDG Goals. This includes economic growth and social progress; people centered development, gender equality and youth empowerment to position African cities as leaders in regenerative development, ICT and the changing global economic context. The combined AFRICA123 team brings over a century of project design and implementation experience related to action research, design, development and implementation of developmentally focused projects at a range of scales that have delivered on development goals.
Locations
Where Will The Cities Be Built?
Currently all African countries, both primary and secondary cities, are experiencing urbanisation pressures due to the increasing pace of urbanisation. In addition rural areas can be boosted by logistically focused Regenerative SMARTERu-Urban cities that catalyse regenerative hinterland productivity. The AFRICA123 advance team of professionals initially share the AFRICA123 Regenerative SMARTER Build (Regenerative SMARTERu-Urban) framework with government departments and agencies. As the value of this is understood, key stakeholders, including landowners/custodians and key public sector institutions identify land at scale and invite AFRICA123 to provide prefeasibility studies on these sites that meet the basic criteria.
Homes
What Type Of Homes Will Be Built?
All homes will be built to modern principles according to local and international standards. As an integrated development project, each city will include residential units to house those currently living in informal settlements; middle income earners and the upper income.
Who will build these homes?
AFRICA123 will manage the tenders process calling on reputable construction entities from across the globe who must incorporate in each bid local qualified companies. These construction entities will have to address the regenerative specifications designed by us to achieve the objectives of sustainable design and delivery.
Are these to be sold or rented?
There will be 4 options:
- Rent to own
- Mortgage financing
- Life rights
- Outright cash purchases
Infrastructure
What about the required bulk infrastructure?
Appropriate infrastructure solutions will be based on each city’s regional context taking into account grid connectivity with emphasis on developing independent mini-grid systems.
Transport
Many African cities are affected by traffic congestion. How will this be addressed?
Compact walkable cities will also include people prioritised non-motorised transport, and integrated transport and road system design. This will be supported by transport and traffic management systems to facilitate movement and growth.
Will these cities be linked to other cities by road, rail and air transport?
This will be a critical aspect of the overall design of all new cities. Access to central and peripheral markets via rail, road, air and river or ocean transport are key components of opening up the hinterland to economic participation and the development of entrepreneurial
value chains from production to markets.Environment
What about the effect on the environment in the various regions and locations?
Each new city will as a matter of policy take in consideration all key aspects in addressing short, medium and long-term environmental, climate and micro-climatic impacts when designing an AFRICA123 Regenerative SMARTER Build city.
Will local communities be consulted?
Unlike many other new city developments, AFRICA123 has a policy of extensive consultation with local communities to harness and design new cities that incorporate local customs and traditions as well as considering local building materials and expertise.
Finance
How will a city of this size and scale be funded?
All funding is being coordinated by AFRICA123 in partnership with African and global funders. Each new Regenerative SMARTERu-Urban city will have 3 funding components: 1 – Design and Planning Phase, 2 – Building and Construction Phase and 3 – End-User Securitized Home Loans Mortgage Phase.
Economy
Will these new cities create new sustainable/permanent jobs?
AFRICA123’s primary objective is to create economic opportunities for each country’s local economy. From the initial design phase, locally sourced businesses contribution will identify semi-skilled and skilled workforce offering short to medium and long term opportunities in all aspect of the new city. The integrated and diverse nature of the city will offer multiple pathways for growth and development in an opportunity rich context. This will generate meaningful income that will allow families to build a sound economic base for generational transition to sustainable wealth creation over time.
How will these new cities be managed?
Transparent governance will be woven into the fabric of each which has been detailed in the book “3 BILLION STRONG”, available as a free download at www.3billion-strong.com – link.
Building Communities
What are the beneficial outcomes of new city builds?
New Ru-urban integrated city builds are designed to rapidly kickstart economic development focused on transitioning and building local communities. These create jobs and skills training opportunities that facilitate access to housing, education and health access within a designed environment ready to receive urban migrants, relocatees from current poorly functioning city contexts and the diaspora into a modern African city context. Examples of new city builds that today are leading cities and city states include Navi Mumbai Brasilia, Dubai, and Singapore, which have offered complete turnaround in the fortunes of these nations. Currently, New Cairo is in process of being built in Egypt.
Will there be schools, clinics and other public facilities?
This is one of the most important aspects of new city builds. Every modern best practice will be employed in the education and health sector in the new cities. Public facilities and services will be designed to create symbiotic communities, supportive systems and health focused solutions.
What makes the AFRICA123 Offering Different
Africa is in the unique position of leading the world in sustainable and regenerative cities. The world realises that poor planning, unfettered growth in conspicuous consumption and building and manufacturing methodologies has ignored the impact of climate change. AFRICA23 is applying 30 years of empirical research to the design of new cities where modern modalities and indigenous regional knowledge are combined to reduce the impact on the environment and nature. We will utilise the expertise and experience of the local population in the housing typologies that would be offered.
Will the cities incorporate new technologies?
The AFRICA123 professionals and technical teams understand that technology is constantly evolving and dynamic process. Our innovation teams will collaborate with selected specialists involved in creating new technologies and designing new solutions from all over the world. This will ensure in the conceptualising and designing of new cities, the solutions offered will have appropriate longevity and durability.
Will new residents be introduced to and inducted into the new cities in a planned way?
The AFRICA123 team has designed a comprehensive governance plan for all the new cities. This will include training and exposure in local customs and traditions and to create an understanding of cohabiting in a new setting. Neighbourliness and building new communities supportive of each other will be the foundation of a new, responsive and responsible society in the making.
