This book documents and analyzes shifting forms of social collaboration between individuals within a changing society, and the impact this has had on the development of African cities. It provides an historical, political and socioeconomic context for the emergence of these shifting forms, and their importance in the remaking of a broad range of African cities. The four cities that are examined are Pikine (Senegal), Winterveld (South Africa), Douala (Cameroon) and Jidda (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia).

The book concentrates on social relationships and how these affect the development of the city, and the four cities are used to examine the role that the imagination plays, and the different social groupings, whether women, youth, national or language groups. It presents the case that there is individual denial of urbanization, with residents referring to the “quarters” where individuals come from rather than the city as a whole. The four main themes are the informal, the invisible, the spectral and movement. In the Senegalese city of Pikine, the ever-increasing importance of the informal sector in the face of globalization, the dismantling of the public sector and the breakdown of traditional hierarchies between men, women and their children is examined. In Winterveld, South Africa, the study examines the “invisible”, i.e. activities that are not open – the unspoken yet present political force within community life. In Douala, Cameroon, “spectral” refers to the role of witchcraft, magic or “healers” within the city, and their impact on how individuals live in the city. The final theme, “movement”, draws on the connections between countries both within and outside Africa, and how important these are for the urbanizing forces in Africa; the Sufi model of the zawwiyah (lodge) is used as an example of how networks are built and how these influence the development of the city.

Following these case studies, Chapter 5 looks at the history of urbanization in Africa, and discusses labour markets and how they have been organized, how cities are administered and the colonial legacy. Chapter 6 examines how African cities are shaped through macroeconomics and approaches of municipal administration, looking at new forms of urban governance and how these can or cannot be assimilated by more traditional approaches. It considers how rural institutional structures are brought into the city, and how the imposing of, for example, structural adjustment programmes impact on these. The ownership and use of land and the issue of shelter are also examined in order to demonstrate how individuals use the resources available to them. The final chapter draws the conclusion that there are numerous dichotomies within the African city: attempting to maintain social cohesion while creating new realities in order to survive, “…maintaining a sense of place while at the same time reach(ing) a larger world.” There is a sense that African influences are rooted in rural life even where experience would demonstrate the contrary. This demands that individuals take on a range of different identities and networks.