Oct 28, 2026 | Action research, Lilongwe, News, Research
Malawi is one of the world’s fastest urbanising countries, with more than 70% of its urban population living in informal settlements. These settlements are characterised by insecure tenure, unregulated land use, inadequate services and exposure to environmental and...
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...
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,...
Jun 5, 2024 | Bukavu, Freetown, Kampala, Lilongwe, Nairobi, News, Research
ACRC has published a new report on factors impacting the uptake of healthy diets in five African cities: Bukavu, DRC; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Kampala, Uganda; Lilongwe, Malawi; and Nairobi, Kenya. The research explores how policymakers, consumers and key actors in...
May 10, 2024 | Lilongwe, News, Research
Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi and its largest city, home to about 1 million residents – three quarters of whom live in informal settlements. Like many other African cities, Lilongwe’s rapid growth has been accompanied by the accumulation of environmental problems...
