Over the past seven editions, Africa’s presence in the IMD Business School Smart City Index has grown significantly. From six ranked cities in 2019, the continent now boasts nine in 2026, including Rabat, Cairo, Abuja, Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, and Tunis.
At the top of the African ranking, Rabat has confirmed its position as the continent’s benchmark. The Moroccan capital has steadily climbed the rankings, establishing itself as Africa’s highest-ranked smart city thanks to a long-term strategy that combines digital transformation, modernization of public services, and stronger local governance.
This performance contrasts with that of several major African cities. Despite significant investments in technology, Cairo has steadily declined in the rankings. Lagos, the continent’s economic powerhouse, continues to lag behind, while Nairobi has struggled to translate its digital dynamism into overall performance. The conclusion is clear: technology alone is not enough.
For the past seven years, the Smart City Index has delivered the same message. The cities making the greatest progress are those investing as much in their institutions as in their digital infrastructure. The quality of governance, public services, and quality of life remains the key factor behind a successful smart city.
Rabat perfectly illustrates this approach. Since 2020, the capital has accelerated the digitalization of municipal services, developed citizen participation tools, and strengthened coordination between national policies and local authorities. Led by the Digital Development Agency, this transformation has enabled Rabat to become Africa’s top-ranked smart city.
Abuja follows a similar trajectory, recording the only African improvement in the 2026 edition. Its progress confirms that strong governance is the essential foundation of urban digital development.
According to Jérôme Chenal, architect, urban planner, and Director of the Excellence in Africa Center at EPFL, the future of African smart cities depends above all on solutions tailored to local realities. In an interview with Agence Ecofin, he emphasized that forms of urban intelligence already exist across the continent and called for public policies that structure these initiatives rather than importing models designed elsewhere. He also pointed out that many smart city projects rely on substantial energy needs, which are often difficult to meet in cities facing recurring power outages.
This assessment echoes the conclusions of the World Bank. In its report Digital Progress and Trends 2025, the institution argues that technological investments deliver sustainable results only when accompanied by institutional reforms, better data governance, and stronger human capital.
Initiatives are emerging across the continent. Kigali is regularly recognized for the quality of its digital governance, while the Senegalese municipality of Mékhé has launched the digitalization of several municipal services. However, these initiatives remain limited, and their impact is still difficult to measure on a large scale.
The Smart City Index highlights an increasingly clear reality: the future of Africa’s smart cities will not depend on technology alone, but on the ability of institutions to put it at the service of citizens. In this regard, Rabat now stands as the continent’s leading reference.