The nature of city dynamics in sub‐Saharan Africa is contested. During the past decade
it has been commonplace for extremely high rates of urban growth to be predicted with
accompanying scenarios of cities growing out of control with ever expanding slums
(Nugent and Locatelli 2009). However, another line of argument has emerged alongside
these claims, with researchers such as Satterthwaite (2007) highlighting how these
scenarios are often based on the misinterpretation of unreliable data. As Potts (2009,
2012) argues, sub‐Saharan African urban growth rates are very variable; most have
slowed down and recent censuses show that many are around or below the national
rates. Thus the demographic process of urbanization, i.e. the increase in the urban share
of a country’s population, is slow or stagnating in most sub‐Saharan African countries.
The experiences of individual countries illustrate the diverse nature of urbanization
with some demonstrating counter‐urbanization (Zambia, Cote d’Ivoire and Mali), some
having weak city in‐migration (Ghana, Benin and Mozambique), whilst others have
cities with high net in‐migration (Tanzania, Kenya and Niger) (Potts 2009, 2012).
Although much city growth in sub‐Saharan Africa is now due to natural population
increase, this does not mean that mobility is on the decline. Circular migration, which
has always been important in sub‐Saharan Africa, has intensified in recent decades
partly as a consequence of structural adjustment policies (Tacoli 2001). As urban
livelihoods have become increasingly insecure, linkages back to rural areas have
provided the primary safety net for many urban inhabitants, although there cases such
as South Africa and Zimbabwe where rural‐urban links for long‐term city dwellers are
weakening (Potts 2011). A key outcome of this situation is that elderly migrants
returning to their hometown no longer dominate urban‐rural migration streams. On the
contrary, young people are now increasingly involved in migratory processes back to
rural areas (Kristensen and Birch‐Thomsen 2013). Understanding the nature of these
urban‐rural connections is central to understanding city dynamics and the potential for
poverty reduction.
2
This State of the Art Report for Work Package 3 aims to contribute to our understanding
of City Dynamics by providing a detailed analysis of current urban population trends
and the relative contribution of migration to urban growth in Cameroon, Ghana,
Rwanda and Tanzania. Gaining an overview of the rate of urban growth and the role
that migration plays in this growth, as well as the livelihoods and mobility of urban
residents and their links to rural areas, will contribute to a more nuanced
understanding of urban‐rural connections. In this summary report, the findings from all
four countries are brought together under four headings: urban growth trends, urban
hierarchy, urban migration, and urban livelihoods. This is followed by the full reports
for each of the countries in alphabetical order: Cameroon, Ghana, Rwanda and Tanzania.