Nairobi ranked third most attractive city in Africa on strong FDIs, infrastructure

Nairobi has climbed three places to become the third most attractive African city, in the 2025 top 30 cities ranking by Jeune Afrique and its sister outlet The Africa Report.

This has been supported by its high activity as a tech hub and by major mobility and infrastructure projects, according to the report, which has given the Kenyan capital strong scores on Foreign Direct Investments, infrastructure and housing, and quality of life.

“Nairobi recorded the most notable rise on the podium. Despite socio-political tensions in recent months, the Kenyan capital reaches third place, supported by its ambition to position itself as a continental tech hub, as well as its major infrastructure and mobility projects and its attractiveness to investors,” the rankings report reads in part.

It has beaten key cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Casablanca and Lagos.

Cairo tops this year’s ranking, dethroning Cape Town. The Egyptian capital, benefiting from its geographic location, has seen an exceptional influx of foreign capital, particularly from the Gulf and China.

It is also supported by major urban development projects such as the New Administrative Capital, now one of the most striking symbols of national urban transformation strategies.

Despite persistent challenges related to density, mobilityand pollution, Cairo leads in economic attractiveness and FDI, propelling it to first place.

Rwanda’s capital Kigali maintained its second-place position and reinforced its status as a model city on the continent, notably thanks to its clean urban environment, safety and innovation strategy whichcontinue to earn it praise for high quality of life and effective municipal governance.

Mombasa has been ranked 14^th Africa’s most attractive city beating its peer Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, which has been ranked 15^th. Kampala has slipped to position 26 from last year’s 19.

Jeune Afrique looked into a multidimensional analysis of African metropolises –combining residents’ perceptions with an objective assessment of economic attractiveness with the ranking becoming essential tool for understanding the major urban transformations shaping the continent.

This year’s ranking was based on an opinion survey conducted with Sagaci Research among 7,877 residents of African cities to evaluate quality of life, infrastructure and housing, economic dynamism, and access to essential services.

It was complemented by a detailed analysis of foreign direct investment between 2020 and 2023.

The 2025 ranking also highlights a widening gap between francophone and anglophone  urban ecosystems.

Several major francophone West African metropolises, such as Abidjan or Dakar, dropped in the ranking this year, either due to the entry of new cities or to more critical assessments from their residents, according to the report.

Conversely, several anglophone cities confirm their resilience, driven by dynamic domestic markets, ambitious infrastructure development strategies and a stronger ability to attract international investment.

Another structural trend is confirmed: the rise of so-called secondary cities. Beyond South Africa and Morocco, cities such as Mombasa or Alexandria have demonstrated that metropolitan attractiveness in Africa is no longer limited to traditional economic or political capitals.

Demographic growth, the development of logistics corridors and the emergence of new industrial zones are reshaping the map of urban power across the continent, with some of the small cities expected rival the historic metropolises by 2050.

“This ranking comes at a time when Africa is experiencing unprecedented urbanisation. The number of city dwellers will double by 2050 to reach nearly 1.4 billion people. This places urban management at the heart of the continent’s development challenges,” explained Julien Wagner, journalist in charge of the ranking.

“Faced with rapidly growing needs in infrastructure, housing, mobility and essential services, African metropolises must invent new financing models, strengthen their governance capacities, and adapt to a constantly evolving climatic, social and economic context.”