Chinese developer Zendai Developments had high hopes of building a new R84-billion city in Modderfontein on the East Rand of Gauteng, touting it as the “New York of Africa”.
However, the plan, which dates back to 2014, failed due to funding issues and disagreements with the City of Johannesburg over affordable housing.
The land was sold to South African developer M&T Development in 2017, and the plan for the land shifted from a futuristic smart city to a more traditional suburb.
A planned smart city in Stellenbosch is already taking shape, with a major industrial customer opening a new warehouse and offices at the project, while bulk infrastructure work is underway.
Plans for The Bridge at Stellenbosch were first announced in late 2024. It is backed by the Stellenbosch Municipality and the Western Cape’s tourism trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro.
Read more: ZA: Western Cape: Stellenbosch smart city taking shape
Barely a brick has been moved at most of the so-called “smart cities” that various senior government officials have promised to build over the last decade.
However, Mooikloof Smart City, next to Garsfontein Road on the outskirts of eastern Tshwane, already has several completed multi-storey apartment blocks, some of which are already occupied.
The R84-billion project was officially launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2020 as a Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) between Balwin Properties and the national government.
Read more: One smart city in South Africa that already has people living in it
As South Africa’s smart city agenda gathers momentum, the focus is shifting from headline-grabbing technology projects to more inclusive, data-driven approaches that improve everyday urban life. Morag Evans, CEO of Databuild, tells us how smart cities should be defined less by gadgets and more by governance, integration and intelligent use of information to deliver sustainable, people-centred outcomes in the built environment.
In recent years, the term ‘smart city’ has become a buzzword attached to various developments across the country. But what does it really mean? Contrary to popular belief, a smart city is not defined by how much technology has been installed. It is defined by how well that city uses information, infrastructure and institutions to improve the lives of people who live and work there.
The eThekwini Municipality is accelerating the digitisation of its Human Resources (HR) systems, a strategic shift aimed at improving accountability, enhancing workforce performance and enabling faster and more reliable services for residents.
This was highlighted during an oversight visit by the Governance and Human Resources Portfolio Committee to employee training sessions on the new digital HR platform.