Kigali secures second spot as Africa's most attractive city #rwanda #RwOT

The Africa Report is a Paris-based, English-language quarterly magazine focusing on African politics and economics, founded by Patrick Smith two decades ago.

In its first ranking of African cities, the pan-African media platform recognized Kigali as Africa's second most inviting, livable, and investment-friendly city.

South Africa's Cape Town and Johannesburg claimed the first and third spots, followed by Morocco's twin cities of Casablanca and Rabat. Nairobi, Kenya, ranked sixth.

Other cities in the top 10 include Alexandria, Cairo, Abidjan, and Accra. Additional rankings feature Lagos, Dakar, Gaborone, Addis Ababa, Tunis, Lusaka, Cotonou, Oran, Kampala, Abuja, Lomé, Algiers, Douala, Yaoundé, Luanda, Maputo, Harare, Kinshasa, Libreville, and Ouagadougou.

The report highlights progress made by urban centres while identifying areas for growth, using a comprehensive survey of readers and foreign direct investment data to provide insights into Africa's evolving urban landscape.

Kigali has previously been recognized for its ease of doing business, driven by streamlined regulatory processes, transparent governance, and supportive policies for entrepreneurs and investors.

The Kigali Convention Center has become a hub for international business meetings and conferences.

The city also boasts a clean, orderly environment thanks to initiatives like monthly Umuganda community cleanups and strict waste management systems, earning it a reputation as one of Africa's cleanest capitals.

In addition, Kigali embraces innovation with tech hubs, smart city initiatives, and a growing startup ecosystem fostering creativity and modern solutions, making it an attractive destination for both business and living.

Kigali is home to BK Arena, a multi purpose indoor venue that hosts a range of events, from sports to concerts.

In July, Kigali was ranked among the top five favourite destinations for travellers visiting Africa and the Middle East. It moved up four spots from ninth place in the World's Best Awards 2024, behind Marrakesh, Cape Town, Jerusalem, and Dubai, respectively.

The awards, organized by Travel + Leisure, a New York City-based travel magazine, consider traveler experiences to rank the world's top cities based on parameters such as sights/landmarks, culture, food, friendliness, shopping, and value.

Amahoro Stadium in Kigali is a state-of-the-art facility known for hosting major sports events, concerts, and other large gatherings.

In the 2024 edition, voters described Kigali as a beautiful and well-organized hub with friendly and helpful residents.

'Amazingly clean and progressive city! I felt safe walking all over,' wrote one voter. 'There is a wide variety of cuisine available and amazing coffee.'

Rwanda's capital, Kigali, has been named the second most attractive city in Africa in the inaugural city rankings by The Africa Report and its sister publication, Jeune Afrique.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

Source : https://en.igihe.com/travel/article/kigali-secures-second-spot-as-africa-s-most-attractive-city