Nairobi welcomed me with its raw energy, the kind you immediately feel in major African capitals. A city in expansion, still searching for its balance between modernity and urban chaos. Walking through its streets, I was struck by a sharp contrast: on one side, an overwhelming ambition, evident in discussions and upcoming projects; on the other, an urban reality still marked by the lack of pedestrian spaces, infrastructure struggling to keep pace, and urban planning sometimes overlooked in the rush for development.
Yet, through the conversations, I sensed something deeper. A silent promise, a city aware that it is on its way to becoming a model, a laboratory for transformation across the continent. Nairobi is not stuck in its current state; it is in transition, driven by those who live there and dream of a more fluid, inclusive, and visionary urban space. The Chinese, Europeans, Americans, and Emiratis are all investing in Nairobi, transforming informal land into large-scale international projects.
While urban planning is still seeking the right solutions, one sector has taken a significant lead: mobile payments. For years, Kenya has been a pioneer with M-Pesa, an innovation that has changed the lives of millions and remains a global benchmark. Where urban planning struggles, Kenyan fintech has established itself with impressive agility, proving that progress, when designed to meet local realities, can be swift and impactful.
An African proverb says: “If you want to know where you’re going, you must first know where you come from.” This resonates deeply with this reflection. Understanding where our cities, economies, and networks come from helps us grasp where we must go. Today’s Nairobi, with its imperfections and promises, is a reflection of Africa’s ongoing transformation. It’s not just about growth but about finding a balance between heritage and modernity, between roots and progress.
This journey reignited an idea we have always embraced at EBF: Africa is where our mission truly belongs. Our emails remind us daily, with the signature “Emerging Africa.” It’s not just a slogan but a deep conviction, an intuition embedded in everything we do. Africa is not just a potential to unlock; it is already in motion, an innovation opportunity happening right before our eyes.
Thinking about it, Emerging Africa is perhaps the Homo Erectus of our time. The one who, after millions of years of evolution, stood up and began walking toward its destiny. Africa, the cradle of humanity, took that first step, realizing that the horizon lay ahead and progress was necessary. Today, the continent is experiencing a similar moment. It is rising again, not just as humanity’s past but as the world’s future. Its cities, economies, and cultures are reinventing themselves, finding a balance between history and modernity, between stability and ambition.
At Urban Shift, I was most happy to be in Africa, sharing moments with participants from across sub-Saharan Africa, from the west, east, central regions, both francophone and anglophone. Every conversation reinforced my sense of belonging to a vast and thriving continent. And in every discussion, I felt a particular pride: the opportunity to invite my peers to Morocco at the end of the year for the Africa Cup of Nations. An event that, beyond football, symbolizes the African connection we must cultivate and strengthen.
At Urban Shift, I had the privilege of being surrounded by an incredible delegation, a committed team whose every member enriched my vision of the continent. This immersion opened my eyes to the Marrakech I am returning to, a city in full transformation. Seeing the current and upcoming projects made me want to actively take part, through EBF, in this evolution. Through discussions, I realized that our place is at the governance table of the Marrakech dream, where the vision of Marrakech as a sustainable city is being shaped.
To get to Nairobi, we had to travel from Marrakech to Casablanca, then from Casablanca to Doha before finally landing here. A journey that speaks volumes about the need for a better-connected Africa. If we want to see a strong urban network across the continent, as promoted by C40 CITIES, we must also connect our skies. Today, our way of traveling mirrors how a cerebral cortex functions—stimulating its neural connections to evolve. Africa will only accelerate its growth by strengthening its links, activating its economic, urban, and aerial synapses to enable smooth interaction between its innovation hubs.
As I leave Nairobi, I feel a renewed desire—to continue exploring African capitals, to let myself be surprised, to expand our vision, and to connect the dots between our initiatives and this ever-evolving continent. Emerging Africa is walking. And this time, it won’t stop.
