Future Cities Africa podcast

Eleven clean audits. South Africa's best secondary city. The Western Cape's best municipality. Drakenstein doesn't talk about good governance - they just do it, year after year. In this episode, City Manager Dr. Johan Leibbrandt unpacks the leadership, disciplines and culture that make consistent performance possible in one of South Africa's most recognised municipalities. Presented by Business En...

Many of South Africa's municipalities are under enormous pressure - and most people in the sector know it. Drawing on a paper he wrote titled The Logic of Local Government Finance, Anton Groenewald - Group Head of Regional Operations at the City of Tshwane and former municipal manager of both Swellendam and Midvaal - delivers one of the most direct and substantive accounts of why South African mun...

Built on Values: Governance, Digital Transformation and a Vision for Bergrivier | Innovation in Local Government Series Presented by Business Engineering | Future Cities Africa Bergrivier Municipality in the Western Cape has achieved 10 consecutive clean audits, 10 consecutive funded budgets, and is one of only 40 municipalities in South Africa participating in the UN's voluntary SDG review proces...

Key Themes from the Discussion Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Stakeholder Participation Drawing from experience on cross-border projects like the Maputo Corridor, Hannes stresses that successful PPPs require early, genuine, and integrated stakeholder engagement (communities, businesses, government departments, media). It's not a one-way info dump - show willingness to adapt designs/process...

Dive into the movement flipping Johannesburg's story from 'the city is finished' to 'watch this space'. In just two years Jozi My Jozi has lit up bridges, cleaned streets, built a full-size inner-city football field and signed a deal to revive the High Court precinct, all powered by citizens and smart partnerships. Guest: Innocent Mabusela, Head of Stakeholder Relations and Communication at Jozi M...

Welcome to the Local Government Innovation Series on Future Cities Africa, presented by Business Engineering. Explore how Swartland Municipality keeps topping national rankings for financial sustainability, ease of doing business, and digital innovation - from launching South Africa's first 'IDP in Your Pocket', to paperless land-use and building-plan portals that unlock rapid development, to turn...

Dive in to what rapid urbanisation actually looks like on the ground: from the unique challenges of a 30-year-old democracy and a super-young population, to smarter-city solutions that actually work, future-proof planning, and how to deliver services to millions while building climate resilience – without bankrupting municipalities or repeating yesterday's mistakes.

Dan Claassen sits down with Bronwyn Williams, co-author of the explosive new book Survive the AI Apocalypse: A Guide for Solutionists. It calls the next decade a full-on reset: jobs evaporating, deepfakes everywhere, every old life script burnt to the ground… and a supernova of brand-new choices exploding open. A lot of people are freaking out – but what if this great shrinkage is actually our con...

Presented by  Business Engineering Guest: Dawie de Jager, Deputy Municipal Manager, Kouga Local Municipality Episode Focus: How Kouga went from financial distress in 2016 to becoming the best-performing municipality in the Eastern Cape (2025 SAPOA | Ratings Africa Awards) and achieving repeated clean audits. Key Takeaways: Turnaround Foundation (2016 onwards) Clean, ethical governance and strict f...

Dive into the impactful corporate social responsibility initiatives of the Sanlam Foundation. This episode explores how Sanlam Foundation drives social and economic change through education, enterprise development, and financial literacy, while addressing challenges and fostering sustainable outcomes in urban nodes like Bellville. Presented by the Greater Tygerberg Partnership, my guest in this ep...

His Worship, Councillor, Prince, Thuso Moyo, Mayor of City of Victoria Falls, outlines the city's post-2020 infrastructure upgrades, community-driven tourism recovery strategies, robust digital platforms for transparent service delivery, and promising opportunities for partnerships to build a smart, green city by 2030. The city, upgraded from town status in 2020, has launched a US$15 million WASH...

We discuss key initiatives driving change, including improving financial management and assurance in municipalities, prioritising performance management, advancing professionalisation, enhancing policy implementation, promoting sustainable change, and how the annual Local Government Conversations webinar series by Future Cities Africa fosters collaboration and improves municipal practices.

Uncover key lessons from Harare's growth and the role of ordinary people in driving urban change. My guest today is Davison Muchadenyika, Senior Urban Specialist at the World Bank Group and author of The Making of an African City. He's worked with many governments across Africa to build sustainable, inclusive cities.

Welcome to the Local Government Innovation Series on Future Cities Africa, presented by Business Engineering. Mayor Ralph Nyasha Maoneyi of Kariba Municipality, Zimbabwe, introduces Kariba as a tourism-driven town with a rich history linked to the Kariba Dam. He discusses key service delivery initiatives, including the Polyclinic and school expansions, challenged by only 12% devolution fund disbur...

Bellville's vibrant informal food market showcases its vital role in South Africa's informal economy as we, presented by the Greater Tygerberg Partnership, explore traders' challenges and innovative solutions like trading prototypes to create a scalable urban trading model. Presented by the Greater Tygerberg Partnership Episode Guests Rirhandzu Marivate, Programs Manager at the South African Urban...

Welcome to the Local Government Innovation Series on Future Cities Africa, presented by Business Engineering. Nestled in the heart of Namaqualand, Kamiesberg is addressing rural challenges with innovative strategies, blending digital advancements and community-driven solutions. Let's dive into their journey of transformation, service delivery, and community connection!  

Welcome to another insightful episode on Future Cities Africa. In this episode we'll explore Our Future Cities's Framework for Great Places, shaping vibrant, equitable African cities through place-led development. We cover its core components, real-world applications, community co-creation, policy influence, global insights, and a bold vision for Africa's urban future. Rashiq Fataar, CEO of Our Fu...

Introduction In this episode of the 'Local Government Innovation Series', the deputy Municipal Manager and ICT Manager of Kouga Municipality discuss their digital transformation journey, emphasising leadership strategies and improved service delivery. Episode Overview Welcome to the Local Government Innovation Series on Future Cities Africa, presented by Business Engineering . Over the past 18 mon...

In this episode of the 'Local Government Innovation Series', Mayor Trevino Forbes of Walvis Bay Municipality shares how they're turning urban challenges into opportunities through sustainable development, digital transformation, and innovative governance strategies. Episode Overview: Welcome to the Local Government Innovation Series on Future Cities Africa, presented by Business Engineering. In th...

'Pioneering a Greener Future: Inside Atlantis Special Economic Zone's Vision for Sustainable Industry and Inclusive Growth' is a special two-part series where we explore the future of green manufacturing and sustainable investment in Africa. Series   Overview: In this series, we dive into Atlantis SEZ's bold vision for the green economy and uncover how it's building a resilient ecosystem for inves...

'Pioneering a Greener Future: Inside Atlantis Special Economic Zone's Vision for Sustainable Industry and Inclusive Growth' is a special two-part series where we explore the future of green manufacturing and sustainable investment in Africa. Series   Overview: In this series, we dive into Atlantis SEZ's bold vision for the green economy and uncover how it's building a resilient ecosystem for inves...

Cape Town is a thriving green economy innovation hub. The city includes and is surrounded by a range of role players actively participating in green innovation and climate resilience. Cape Town is a hub for green businesses, from renewable energy to sustainable tourism. The city has built a supportive ecosystem and offers access to a growing local market. Cape Town's universities, research institu...

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a key policy tool that forms part of the European Green Deal (EGD) to reduce net GHG emissions across Europe and abroad. Within this context, CBAM can be defined as a carbon border tax on embedded GHG emissions of carbon-intensive products imported into the EU, also from SA. It can be viewed as an opportunity to drive local businesses towards greate...

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a key policy tool that forms part of the European Green Deal (EGD) to reduce net GHG emissions across Europe and abroad. Within this context, CBAM can be defined as a carbon border tax on embedded GHG emissions of carbon-intensive products imported into the EU, also from SA. It can be viewed as an opportunity to drive local businesses towards greate...

The "Invest in Climate Secure Cape Town" series showcases how Cape Town is a) committed and accountable to investing into building climate resilience, b) globally recognised for climate leadership, resilience building in responding to climate crisis and building pro-active plans based on the learnings and c) known for its supportive and inclusive green economy business ecosystem. This episode is p...