Primary Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Quasars, Loose Connections, and Black Holes

Abstract

Although leading cities in the developed world are converging as world cities, cities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) also experience club convergence linked to marginalization and dependency relationships in the global economy. These processes are not uniform, however, with a certain group of cities fully integrating into the global economy. This study analyses a selection of primate cities in SSA, identifying club convergence of cities in the subcontinent. A multivariate analysis is used to select factors to cluster cities in SSA. The analysis indicates that despite the existence of some black holes and the overwhelming club convergence of cities in SSA to the model of loose connections, two significant exceptions have emerged: ‘quasars’, i.e. cities that bear features of well-connected world cities; and ‘resource-dependant cities’, i.e. recently emerging upwardly mobile cities in resource-rich countries which have the potential to converge to cities in the developed world, should adequate economic development policies be implemented.

Notes

1. Harare is included in this cluster. Although Zimbabwe experienced a financial collapse during the previous decade, data indicate that the city has a relatively large industrial base, and the national economy has a low dependence on natural resources for GDP. The country also has a low rate of ethnic fractionalisation and the city has a relatively small slum population, due to the extensive slum clearance and housing development projects. Harare also scores high in Onyebueke's (2011) list of well-connected African cities.