Private Sector & Development magazine articles

All twenty-first century cities have to both meet the essential needs of their populations and adapt to the effects of climate change. In emerging countries, this dual challenge is being exacerbated by constantly increasing rates of urbanisation. To cope with this situation, we need to foster partnerships between the public and private sectors, as demonstrated by the projects supported by Meridiam.

Hospitality is one of the most energy-intensive sectors in real estate. In many markets in Africa, energy represents a significant burden on profitability, yet the sector has never fully embraced energy-efficient solutions, due to high costs, fear of inconveniencing guests, and a lack of demonstrated savings. Kasada is innovating to change the mindsets of property owners across the continent.

According to the International Telecommunications Union and the UN, a smart city is, “... an innovative city that uses … ICT and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring ... economic, social, environmental as well as cultural aspects”. Back in 2019, ASToN programme sought to implement this vision. Questions arising included: how does this apply in real contexts, specifically African cities, often in the face of scarce infrastructure and urgency? The following feedback is from this flagship initiative.