Southern African cities growing faster than you might think
· The South African
Southern Africa’s urban landscape is changing as more people move into cities, with some urban centres recording particularly rapid population growth.
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The latest United Nations World Urbanization Prospects provides population estimates for cities around the world and projections through to 2050.
The latest edition covers more than 12 000 urban centres with populations of at least 50 000, giving a broader picture of urban growth than previous UN editions.
Several cities across Southern Africa are showing notable population growth, including some smaller urban centres that may not immediately come to mind when thinking about the region’s fastest-growing cities.
Lobatse, Botswana
Lobatse is one of the standout examples.
The Botswana city had an estimated 88 511 residents in 2025, with its urban population increasing by 9.23% compared with 2024, according to UN data published through Worldometer.
The same data projects a population of about 96 139 by 2030 and 128 202 by 2050.
The growth rate is particularly striking when compared with Botswana’s better-known capital, Gaborone, which had an estimated 254 517 residents in 2025 and recorded annual growth of 2.28%.
Swakopmund, Namibia
Namibia’s coastal city of Swakopmund is another notable growth story.
Swakopmund’s estimated population reached 89 839 in 2025, representing annual growth of 6.22%. The UN-based projections put its population at approximately 111 264 by 2030 and 210 460 by 2050.
That makes Swakopmund’s growth rate considerably higher than Windhoek’s. Namibia’s capital had an estimated population of 409 758 in 2025 and an annual growth rate of 2.13%.
Kuisebmond, Namibia
Kuisebmond is another Namibian urban centre showing rapid growth.
The area had an estimated 86 747 residents in 2025, with annual population growth of 4.17%.
Its population is projected to reach about 116 750 by 2030 and more than 201 000 by 2050.
The figures show that Namibia’s urban expansion is not being driven by Windhoek alone.
Kabwe, Zambia
Kabwe is among Zambia’s cities recording some of the strongest population growth.
The city had an estimated 267 618 residents in 2025, with annual growth of 4.12%. Its population is projected to rise to about 321 296 by 2030 and 582 180 by 2050.
Kabwe’s growth rate is higher than Lusaka’s, although the capital remains vastly larger.
Lusaka had an estimated 3.51 million residents in 2025 and annual growth of 3.07%.
Tete, Mozambique
Mozambique also has several cities experiencing relatively rapid population growth.
Tete had an estimated 421 174 residents in 2025, with annual growth of 3.71%. The UN-based projections put the city’s population at approximately 499 786 by 2030 and 800 094 by 2050.
The city’s growth rate is higher than that of Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, which recorded annual growth of 1.53% in the same dataset.
Zambia’s capital city
While Lusaka’s growth rate is below that of some smaller cities, its size makes its expansion particularly significant.
The Zambian capital had an estimated population of 3.51 million in 2025, with annual growth of 3.07%.
The UN-based projection puts the population at more than 4.1 million by 2030 and about 6.55 million by 2050.
That means Lusaka could add hundreds of thousands of residents within just a few years, creating growing demand for housing, transport, water, electricity and other urban services.
Zimbabwe’s capital city
Zimbabwe’s capital is also continuing to expand.
Harare had an estimated 2.12 million residents in 2025, with annual growth of 2.26%.
Its population is projected to reach about 2.35 million by 2030 and approximately 3.45 million by 2050.
Harare’s growth rate is also higher than that of Bulawayo.
The latter had an estimated population of 492 771 in 2025 and annual growth of 0.98%.
Cape Town, South Africa
South Africa’s cities are also growing, although at different rates.
Cape Town had an estimated 4.51 million residents in 2025, with annual population growth of 1.95%.
Its population is projected to reach nearly 4.9 million by 2030 and more than 6.1 million by 2050.
Johannesburg remains the larger urban area, with an estimated 7.08 million residents in 2025, but its annual growth rate was lower at 1.60%.