Jun 8, 2026 | Accra, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Lagos, Lilongwe, News, Research
80% of urban workers in sub-Saharan Africa are employed in the informal sector and the vast majority work in household microenterprises (HMEs). They are so called because the owner-operator supplies the labour (sometimes alongside other family members) and usually...
Dec 17, 2025 | Accra, Addis Ababa, Commentary, Dar es Salaam, Freetown, Lagos, Lilongwe, Nairobi, Research
The housing challenge in African cities is far from consistent. With differing historical, sociopolitical and economic contexts, cities are seeing urbanisation play out along differing trajectories – impacting issues around housing demand, supply and justice. ACRC’s...
Jan 21, 2025 | Accra, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Lagos, Nairobi, News, Research
By Kunal Sen, director of UNU-WIDER Structural transformation involves the movement of workers from low-productivity to high-productivity sectors – often from agriculture to manufacturing and services – and is a necessary condition for sustained economic growth....
Dec 12, 2024 | Dar es Salaam, News, Research
Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s socioeconomic and political powerhouse. But it faces numerous challenges, as everyday politics and historical legacies have determined its urban development, hindering delivery of basic services and safe and affordable housing, and giving...
Jul 15, 2024 | Accra, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Freetown, Lagos, Lilongwe, Mogadishu, News, Research
By 2050, it is projected that African cities will become home to an additional 950 million people – all of whom will need housing. This rapid population growth in Africa’s towns and secondary cities has been accompanied by the explosion of informally designed housing,...
Mar 11, 2024 | Accra, Dar es Salaam, Freetown, Harare, Kampala, Lilongwe, Mogadishu, News, Research
ACRC has published new research into the challenges facing informal settlement residents in seven African cities: Accra, Ghana; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kampala, Uganda; Lilongwe, Malawi; and Mogadishu, Somalia. Informal...
