Future Cities Africa podcast

Regina Opondo is Senior Community Principal at Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) in Kenya, and part of an exciting team of urban designers and action researchers who have worked on some exciting community-driven urban interventions across Nairobi and other cities. This episode explores interesting and exciting urban interventions, like Kibera, that are happening in Kenya and revitalising green spac...

Towards sustainable and smart mobility this episode of the MOVE Africa show is with Sasheen Rajkumar. He is a SANRAL project manager, engineer, creative problem solver, big-picture thinker, and futurist that actively thinks about solving local and global problems. Listen or watch to explore: His definition of smart mobility and the key elements of smart mobility. Biggest challenges currently holdi...

Phila Lubisi is an ambitious young professional with a great passion for young people. He is currently a Key Account Manager at Altron Karabinna. Listen or watch to explore: Overview of his career and role at Altron Karabina and why it is important. His experience in peer to peer mentorship and how it is beneficial. Key takeaways from Govtech 2022. Progress being made. The main challenges to digit...

Peter Griffiths is a Global Urban Futures Expert who helps people see and imagine cities differently. In this Master Class on city branding we dive into why brand is so critically important and how to leverage it for maximum impact, how brand impacts people's lives, African cities to be treated as peers internationally, and so much more. Listen or watch to explore: Why we should think about brand...

Bronwyn WIlliams is an Economist, Trend Analyst, Futurist and Partner at Flux Trends. She shares the key trends that will impact cities, businesses, and citizens in 2023. We dive into Greenlining, Georgism, Liveable cities, the future of technology and cities, and more trends for 2023. Listen or watch to explore: Greenlining: What it is and its potential impacts. The reappearance of an ideology ca...

Sandile Mbatha is a Senior Manager responsible for Research and Policy Advocacy in eThekwini Municipality. We discuss how eThekwini is creating data driven, smart, liveable and caring cities. Listen or watch to explore: His career and background. How he defines a 'Smart City' in the African context. Why data is important for Smart Cities and how it should be used. How to make sense of large amount...

Jennifer Mirembe is Chair: Education Committee at the Urban Design Institute of South Africa. We discuss: Urban designers towards healthy cities. Listen or watch to explore: About the Urban Design Institute of South Africa. What is meant by 'Healthy Cities'. What are currently making our cities unhealthy. How current challenges can be addressed. Cities currently getting it right with regards to mo...

Michael Gamwo is Head of the Africa at Wesgro. In episode 7 of the 10 episode Wesgro Series on Future Cities Africa we discuss: The Future of Doing Business in Africa Listen or watch to explore: Overview of his role at Wesgro and why it is important The future of ' doing' business in Africa Key opportunities and challenges with regards to doing business Africa Global trends in terms of interest in...

Kim Walsh is Managing Director at PDG - a public sector consulting firm that supports decision-making in the public interest. We discuss the state of municipal finances in South Africa in 2022. Listen or watch to explore: The state of municipal finances in 2022 in South Africa Internal and external factors causing this state What can be done to improve of this state How municipalities can stay rel...

Dale Deacon is a creative technologist with a focus on 3D, extended reality (XR), and Web3. We discuss the Metaverse and extended reality's potential impact on cities and what an average person's day can look like. Listen or watch to explore: Overview of his background and role at Team Epic. Extended reality (XR) as an umbrella term used to describe immersive technologies that can merge the physic...

Dr Ross Harvey is Director of Research and Programmes at Good Governance Africa. We discuss major governance challenges Africa is facing, potential solutions, how change can happen, emerging disruptors and if there is a glimmer of hope. Listen or watch to explore: Overview of his background and role at Good Governance Africa (GGA) and why it is important. The importance of partnerships and collabo...

Towards sustainable and smart mobility, this episode of the Move Africa show is with Chris Kost, Africa Programme Director at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). Listen or watch to explore: Overview of his role at ITDP and why it is important. Major industry challenges and potential solutions. Examples of African cities 'getting it right'. Why a car centric approach to...

Khanyisa Mabala is Associate Quantity Surveyor and MEPF Lead for Africa at AECOM. She is passionate about the development of young and aspiring candidates within the construction sector. Listen or watch to explore: Intro to her role at AECOM and why it is important. Major challenges in the sectors she work in and how it is being addressed. Her definition of a Smarty City in the Africa context. The...

Paul Swart is Executive Mayor at Cape Agulhas Municipality. We discuss examples of visionary leadership, being a family, their smart city vision, innovative solutions to service delivery, long term thinking, managing complexities, and more. This episode is brought to you in p artnership with Business Engineering Listen or watch to explore: An era of renewed hope. The key characteristics of a visio...

Ruby Swigelaar is Head of the Agribusiness Investment Promotion Unit at Wesgro. In episode 6 of the 10 episode Wesgro Series on Future Cities Africa we discuss: Food for Thought: The Future of Agribusiness. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Wesgro Listen or watch to understand: Breakdown of her role at Wesgro. The important role Wesgro plays within the sector. The future of agribu...

Paulina Mamogobo is a Director of Trade and Investment Promotion at KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs. Listen or watch to explore: Intro to her role at KZNEDTEA and why it is important. Major challenges in the sectors she work in and how it is being addressed. Her approach to solving challenges in her professional life. How she prioritises what is most impor...

Felix Kariba is an urban and regional development expert with broad experience supporting urban governance and formulation of development policies and strategies, as a practitioner and researcher for international organisations, local and national governments, the private sector, and non-profit organisations. Listen or watch to explore: Intro to his background, past work at the Cities Alliance, an...

Towards sustainable and smart mobility, this episode of the Move Africa show on Future Cities Africa is with Bongani Mthombeni-Möller, Director for Smart Mobility at Royal HaskoningDHV. Listen or watch to explore: Her career to date. Biggest challenges currently holding back progress in enabling smarter, sustainability mobility.   How these challenges can and currently are being addressed. Why ind...

Leah Moodaley is a Communications Practitioner and Content Developer with nine years' multidisciplinary experience, predominantly within the public sector. She is currently Communications and Stakeholder Relations Officer at Coega Development Corporation. Listen or watch to understand: Overview of her role at Coega Development Corporation (CDC) and why it is important. Challenges she face in her w...

Visionary Leader Show on Future Cities Africa Leslie Ndawana is Principal Officer and Chief Executive Officer at the National Fund for Municipal Workers (NFMW). The fund has approx R23billion of assets under management. Listen or watch for insights on: Overview of his career and role at NFMW. The key characteristics of a visionary leader. What our public sector leaders are not getting right when l...

Young peoples' experiences, ideas, choices and preferences help shape the future of cities.   This episode of the Bright Young Minds Show on Future Cities Africa is with Celiwe Mabaso, a seasoned communications and sustainability professional with a specialisation in community development and impact investment. Currently working as the Senior social performance manager for BTE Renewables. Listen o...

Erica Joubert is Head of Export Promotion, Joshua Palm is Assistant Export Manager and Jean Scheltema is Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Wesgro. In episode 5 of the 10 episode Wesgro Series on Future Cities Africa we discuss: Made in the Cape - Innovation in Export Promotion. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Wesgro Listen or watch to understand: How Wesgro supports...

Sean Bennet is Group Executive for NEXTEC, an entity of the EOH group. We discuss how NEXTEC helps in building smarter African cities. Listen or watch to understand: Sean's definition of a Smart City in the African context. How cities can better leverage technology to make cities smarter, enable economic transformation and help make cities more inclusive. SA's world class connectivity.   Lack of e...

Kurtis Lockhart is Acting Executive Director and Head of Research at The Charter Cities Institute (CCI). We discuss New Cities With New Rules: The Rise of African Charter Cities. Listen or watch to understand: About The Charter Cities Institute (CCI). What Charter Cities are and how the idea came about. The CCI model for Charter Cities and how if differers from the initial model of economist Paul...

Sebekedi Motlhabane (Mo) Koloi is Greenfield Investment Portfolio Manager for Technology at Wesgro. In episode 4 of the 10 episode Wesgro Series on Future Cities Africa we discuss: Building a Globally Competitive Tech Hub. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Wesgro Listen or watch to understand: Breakdown of his role at Wesgro. Tech ecosystems. How the Cape Town / Western Cape tech...