City dwellers make up only about 30 per cent of Africa's total population south of the Sahara. But the percentage is much higher in some countries, such as Congo (Brazzaville), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius, and South Africa. Throughout Africa, more and more rural people are moving to the cities to seek work. Cities south of the Sahara with populations of more than a million include Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town, South Africa; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kinshasa, Congo (Kinshasa); and Lagos, Nigeria.

Some towns and cities south of the Sahara have existed for centuries. The Ethiopian town of Aksum may have been founded more than 2,000 years ago. When the first Europeans reached western Africa during the 1400's, such cities as Timbuktu in Mali and Ibadan and Kano in Nigeria were thriving economic and cultural centers. Europeans established many other cities in Africa, starting in 1652 with the Dutch settlement at Cape Town in what is now the Republic of South Africa.

In most cities south of the Sahara, the architecture reflects both traditional and modern styles. The newer sections of the cities have parks, hotels, tall office and apartment buildings, and large stores. Many older neighborhoods have houses and shops crowded along narrow streets. Open-air markets, where people buy food, clothing, and a variety of other goods, are common in many cities.

Like city people in northern Africa, most city dwellers south of the Sahara have a higher standard of living than rural people. The cities provide better schools and better medical facilities than the countryside. For people with the necessary skills, the cities may offer well-paying job opportunities in government, business, industry, and other fields.

City life styles vary widely. Some people are wealthy and live in luxury apartments or large, modern houses. Most of the people, however, live in unplanned neighborhoods of small, one-story houses. Many houses are built of wood or concrete blocks and have corrugated iron roofs.

Like cities in the north, most African cities south of the Sahara face serious problems. The sharp increase in city populations has made it difficult for governments to provide enough housing and efficient public transportation. The water supply, sewerage, and electrical systems are overloaded. Many cities also have a large number of unemployed workers.