Presented by the Greater Tygerberg Partnership

Episode Guests
Rirhandzu Marivate, Programs Manager at the South African Urban Food and Farming Trust
Jacqui Samson, professional planner and owner of J Samson Consultancy.

Episode Summary

The episode highlights Bellville as Cape Town’s second-largest CBD and a major transport interchange, attracting over 90,000 daily commuters. This bustling hub fosters a vibrant informal food trading system that provides accessible, culturally diverse food options, enhancing food security for residents and commuters.

The market’s informal traders form a symbiotic relationship with the formal retail sector, creating a dynamic supply-and-demand network that supports local businesses and commuters alike. Key challenges for traders include inadequate infrastructure (e.g., lack of storage, electricity, and sanitation), safety concerns, and cumbersome permitting processes.

The AfriFoodLinks project, in collaboration with the Greater Tygerberg Partnership, is addressing these through innovative solutions like prototyping food vending structures, improving waste management with black soldier fly facilities, and introducing capacity-building programs for food safety compliance. These initiatives aim to create dignified, hygienic, and sustainable trading environments.

The discussion also covers urban planning’s role in integrating innovations like cashless systems, mobile trading structures, and enhanced waste management to support traders. The Greater Tygerberg Partnership’s market management model and sustainability efforts, such as organic waste processing for composting, aim to empower traders to adopt greener practices. Co-design with vendors ensures these solutions are contextually appropriate, fostering trust and community ownership.

The episode concludes with reflections on the informal economy’s social ecosystem, where traders operate with a “social license” despite regulatory challenges. The Greater Tygerberg Partnership’s goal to become a knowledge hub offers a scalable model for supporting informal traders across South African cities, emphasising technology (e.g., e-services, AI, and Wi-Fi access) and stakeholder collaboration to enhance business operations and urban resilience.

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 Future Cities, discusses the organisation's framework for creating vibrant, equitable African cities through place-led development. The framework consists of four core components: Place of Mind (functional spaces like transport hubs), Place of Heart (emotionally significant places), Design and Function (practical elements like seating and Wi-Fi), and People and Stewardship (active community involvement and management). These elements must work together, underpinned by an understanding of societal context, to create meaningful urban spaces.

Rashiq shares real-world applications, such as the Regent Road project in Sea Point, where the framework revealed a need to enhance the "place of heart" despite strong design and function. He also highlights the role of informality as a strength in African cities, citing examples like vibrant informal markets and a drug harm reduction center in Durban that naturally became a placemaking hub.

The framework informs policy advocacy by demonstrating practical solutions, such as pedestrian crossing art in Cape Town to improve safety, though Rashiq notes South Africa still lacks place-led thinking at a national level. Global insights from cities like Torino and New York have shaped the framework, emphasising the importance of density and quality public spaces, but it remains tailored to African contexts by starting with local societal conditions.

Looking ahead, Rashiq envisions African cities evolving through inclusive placemaking, urging stakeholders to make placemaking "everyone’s work" and foster unusual collaborations to empower communities. The episode underscores the need for a holistic, community-driven approach to urban development in Africa.

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 months, Kouga has revolutionised its IT environment by adopting innovative technologies like drones for community safety, electronic bulk meter reading for electricity, and the Collaborator platform for document and policy management. These tools have improved transparency, service delivery, and operational efficiency.

Key initiatives include a new customer care system with WhatsApp integration, live service delivery dashboards, and digitised processes for building plans and GIS functions. The municipality has also prioritised cybersecurity and embraced AI to enhance data accessibility.

Leadership strategies focus on openness, with the mayor engaging the public through regular feedback sessions and live-streamed council meetings.

Despite challenges like change management and data integrity, Kouga is committed to a citizen-centric approach, ensuring inclusivity and trust through proactive, technology-driven governance.

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 this episode, Mayor Trevino Forbes of Walvis Bay Municipality discusses how the municipality is addressing urban challenges through innovative and sustainable initiatives. Key highlights include the launch of a pilot green hydrogen plant aimed at powering clean cooking and transport fuel in the new Green Valley suburb. This suburb is part of a broader effort to decongest densely populated areas and create a climate-resilient community. Additionally, the municipality is partnering with entities to explore waste-to-energy solutions at its landfill site.

Mayor Forbes emphasises efforts to enhance service delivery despite challenges like the absence of a CEO (now resolved) and strained infrastructure, such as roads impacted by unusual rainfall in the desert town. A stormwater study has informed plans to integrate drainage systems into new developments. Community engagement is a priority, with open-door policies, WhatsApp channels, and public meetings ensuring residents’ voices shape governance and budgeting.

While digital transformation is currently limited, the municipality aims to automate processes and reduce paper reliance in its upcoming budget. Looking forward, Mayor Forbes sees opportunities in fostering an investment-friendly environment, twinning with regions like the Western Cape, and exploring water security and renewable energy solutions like desalination and solar power to position Walvis Bay as a leader in sustainable urban progress.

‘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 investors and industries alike.

We examine how this unique zone empowers green industries, supports ESG goals, and drives skills development for an inclusive, sustainable future.

Whether you're an investor, a manufacturer, or a change-maker, discover how Atlantis SEZ is redefining industrial growth in Africa.

Episode Guest:

Selwyn Willoughby, Executive: Integrated Ecosystem at Atlantis Special Economic Zone

‘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 investors and industries alike.

We examine how this unique zone empowers green industries, supports ESG goals, and drives skills development for an inclusive, sustainable future.

Whether you're an investor, a manufacturer, or a change-maker, discover how Atlantis SEZ is redefining industrial growth in Africa.

Episode Guest:

Matthew Cullinan, Chief Executive Officer at Atlantis Special Economic Zone

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 institutions, and private sector are driving cutting-edge solutions in cleantech.

This episode is part of the "Invest in climate secure Cape Town series", a two-part series supported by the City of Cape Town Department of Enterprise & Investment, produced in partnership with City of Cape Town Risk and Resilience Department in the Future Planning and Resilience Directorate and GreenCape, featuring Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, City of Cape Town.