Style & Culture

Urban Africa

Dynamic, diverse, and ever-evolving, these bustling metropolises are the new frontier for true travelers.
Image may contain Jaynet Kabila M.I Person Adult Clothing Footwear Shoe Hat Plant Helmet Art Collage and Food

Africa’s riches are staggering. Yet, while its baobab trees, lions and gorillas, and deltas like the Okavango have long captured the world’s imaginations, its cities have been too often overlooked by travelers from beyond the continent, despite being equally exciting cultural ecosystems, and destinations in their own right.

You may know about Cairo, Marrakech, Tangiers, and Tunis, those ancient cities of the Mediterranean sphere, but it’s the hubs of sub-Saharan Africa—that have evolved right under our noses—that are drawing us in. These African cities, south of the great desert, are melting pots of their countries’ myriad ethnicities and religions. Whether you’re in Kigali, Johannesburg, or Addis Ababa, life and business are lived out on the street. As someone who was born in Nigeria—and returns often—I love nothing more than sitting in an Uber chugging through Lagos and watching the hustle and energy of pineapple vendors and money-changers, who ply their trade while looking resplendent in geometric-patterned adire fabrics, kufi caps, and colorful head wraps. It’s a chromatic extravaganza that would seem stage-managed anywhere else—and is a photographer and videographer’s dream, as visual artist Trevor Stuurman underscores in this ode to Dakar.

Ever since the opening up of the continent’s major economies in the 1990s, the African diaspora has recognized the opportunities on the home continent and have brought back their experiences collected abroad, melding them with traditional cues and wisdom. In Kigali, chef Dieuveil Malonga, who grew up in Germany and worked in Paris, is on a mission to showcase the best of pan-African cuisine, foregrounding ancestral recipes and giving them an international twist. (Plantain ravioli, anyone?) Others like him are taking advantage of Indigenous produce such as hibiscus and coffee beans, turning them into delicious floral cocktails and craft cappuccinos.

Homegrown locals are doing the same: Inspired by the digisphere’s explosion of ideas, they are similarly fusing Indigenous and non-native cultures to create something rootsy yet cosmopolitan, through formats like supper clubs in Lagos and art collectives in Johannesburg.

Idiosyncratic boutique hotels are sprouting up, too, complete with creature comforts and artwork plucked from booming art scenes. And you’ll find that these hotels are often not too far from a beach or lagoon. The coastal location of many sub-Saharan cities means that whether you’re in Dakar, Accra, or Dar Es Salaam, you can enjoy gorgeous ocean sunsets paired with the great music scenes only a major city could foster. African rhythms, which inform so much of modern global music, have come full circle, too—and clubbers everywhere are vibing to the likes of Burna Boy and Afropop artist, Mr. Eazi.

Ultimately, though, what makes us excited about Urban Africa is the people. Africans are among the most open and cosmopolitan folks on earth, straddling multiple continents and speaking several languages. We see the world but the world often doesn’t see us. But it’s time for that to change: There has never been a better moment to discover the urban hotspots of the earth’s second-largest continent. Raw, dynamic, simultaneously digital and earthy, this is the new frontier for true travelers. The only question is, which city do you visit first? The choices are many. —Noo Saro-Wiwa

Noo Saro-Wiwa is a British-Nigerian journalist based in London. She is the author of Black Ghosts (2023) and Looking For Transwonderland (2012).

Why Kigali Is Africa’s Most Exciting Food City

Dieuveil Malonga, Chris Schwagga/Meza Malonga
Dieuveil Malonga, Chris Schwagga/Meza Malonga

“Malonga, with his Adidas cap slung backwards, presides over the open kitchen as chefs swirl around in a seamlessly composed dance, tweezing, saucing, and wiping under his tutelage. Born in Congo and raised in Germany and France, Malonga journeyed through 46 of Africa’s 54 countries before opening Meza Malonga in Kigali 2020, calibrating his findings into a sweeping tasting menu that traverses the vast expanse of Africa. In May, he’ll open his dream campus two hours away on a farm in Musanze, with a restaurant, spice museum, food lab, and school. “There’s a food revolution happening in Rwanda,” he says. ‘People today are traveling from Copenhagen to Brazil just for food—Africa has something to offer.’” Read the full story by Sarah Khan here.

In This Addis Ababa Skatepark, Weekends Belong to the Girls

Courtesy Ethiopia Skate

“'I’m so happy I made friends here. We hang out even outside of the skatepark,'” says a 16-year-old called Tsion. She wears a loose, red jersey and grey cargo pants, and her hair is cut short with faded sides. She cradles a board she’s designed herself, covered in red and black abstract drawings and stickers, and tells me she wants to skate professionally in the future. 'Because we all attend different schools and live in different neighborhoods, it’s unlikely we would’ve met if it weren’t for skating,' she adds. Despite these differences, they say, they've become each other's chosen family—and the skate park, their home away from home." Read the full story by Hiwot Abebe here.

A Guide to Africa’s Best Cities for Music and Nightlife, Courtesy of Afropop Star Mr Eazi

“My favorite spot in Accra is Republic Bar. It's nothing fancy, but has the best vibe and energy. It’s small inside, but outside by the road they put chairs, turn over empty oil cans for tables, and the DJs are right there. Their cocktails are made with apetishi, the local sugarcane brew. In my song “Werser,” I say, ‘Ginger shot, five fingers, what a mismatch.’ Ginger shot is a drink from Republic, and five fingers refers to a drink from another great street-style bar, the Purple Pub. Don't ask me what's in five fingers, because I don't know, but if you do drink them together, you're lit.” —Read the full story by Lee Middleton here.

Trevor Stuurman

"While it was fashion that first took Stuurman to the Senegalese capital, over time it has become a prism for exploring its physical landscape. ‘The way the buildings are adorned here—their use of color and their architectural style—almost mirrors the fashion, which is beautiful because you almost see this conversation between the two,’ he explains. ‘I remember thinking, when I first came here, that the city almost felt like a movie set, because it just felt so art-directed and staged, but it’s not—it’s effortless.’” —Read the full story by Arati Menon here.

Johannesburg Is an Art and Design Lover’s Delight

Graham De Lacy/Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation

“Adding even more clout to the city’s impressive creative roster is Thebe Magugu. The fashion designer, who garnered fame with his slinky printed dresses and heirloom shirts, opened Magugu House this year, his first brick and mortar in a heritage house in the city’s leafy Dunkeld neighborhood. Having one of the leading designers in the country—who was awarded the LVMH prize and has collaborated with Dior—invest in Johannesburg shows fresh confidence in a city that’s often deeply misunderstood.” —Read the full story by Mary Holland here.

In Lagos, Creative Identity Thrives in Community

Sebastian Barros/Bogobiri House

“Lagos can feel like a city that’s too fast to catch, too big to know, but in its community hubs, everything slows down. These spaces—whether a skatepark, a communal table, or an art gallery—are where Lagos reveals its softer side, the side that travelers rarely get to see but should seek out. So when you come to Lagos—because you must—step off the beaten path and seek out these sanctuaries of connection.” —Read the full story by Ayomide ‘Mimi’ Aborowa here.

Credits

Lead editor: Arati Menon

Editors: Lale Arikoglu, Erin Florio, Shannon McMahon, Megan Spurrell, Hannah Towey

Lead visuals: Pallavi Kumar

Supporting visuals: Andrea Edelman

Lead social media: Mercedes Bleth

Supporting social media: Kayla Brock

Audience development: Abigail Malbon

Production: Kat Chen