Edgar Pieterse: From Apartheid to Agency; Africa's Urban Future

The Century of Cities welcomes Edgar Pieterse, Founding Director of the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town, who takes us on a sweeping journey through apartheid-era Cape Town to a hopeful, youth-driven African future. Reflecting on how cities have evolved since 1980, Pieterse reveals the deep scars of inequality, the challenges of economic exclusion, and the extraordinary creativity shaping new urban models across the continent. From democratization and deindustrialization to cultural ascendancy and climate resilience, Edgar connects the dots between infrastructure, leadership, and imagination. He shares how initiatives like Infrastructure Africa, the African Urban Forum, and the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative are redefining what's possible when cities and citizens lead with vision, courage, and purpose.