Best African Cities & Towns (25 Most Beautiful Cities)
This is a list of the best and most beautiful cities in Africa.
Though their advancements, cleanliness, and architecture may be a pleasant surprise to you, the citizens of these cities are just getting started and have much more grandeur and ambitions in store for the future.
Related: 10 Largest Cities In Africa
Agadir, Morocco
A city nestled right at the base of the Atlas Mountains and on the coast of Morocco, Agadir is one of the most beautiful cities in Morocco. Tourists regularly flock to this resort city to get drunk on the sun and the offerings of beachfront bars as they relax on the city’s well- maintained beaches.
Restaurants and cafe cater to the epicurean’s needs. Museums and architecture attract students of history and the souks (marketplace) are a shopaholic’s haven.
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Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos is said to be Nigeria’s largest and richest city. It was the capital of Nigeria up until 1972. Today Lagos is a very bustling city that is home to a number of large corporations. Actors and musicians who want to make it in the music or film industry usually journey to this city.
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Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg, the African city for gold-diggers, is the richest city in South Africa. It is a major financial and mining hub and has some of the tallest buildings in Africa. Inhabitants of this industrial city are kept healthy with the help of the millions of trees planted on the sidewalks of the city.
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The city-state of Addis Abba is the capital of Ethiopia. Home to a large number of political organizations, the city has been dubbed as the “political capital of Africa”. The city is the center of economic activities in Ethiopia and is a relatively safe city in which to live.
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Luanda, Angola
The booming city of Luanda is the capital of Angola. Angolans flock to this city to find employment in the manufacturing and oil companies located there.
The city is home to Angola’s main seaport that allows for the exportation of coffee, diamonds, and sugar among other goods.
Luanda has started to undergo some new developments that will further boost its ability to provide jobs and social amenities.
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Accra, Ghana
Accra is the capital and most populous city of Ghana. It is the seat of government and the center of commercial and financial activities in Ghana.
The cityscape reflects architectural structures that reflect the city’s rich history. Major investments in the last fifty years have seen the development of more modern buildings.
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Port Louis, Mauritius
The political and economic activities of the citizens of Mauritius are concentrated in its capital city, Port Louis. The city’s history, architecture, and cuisine act as a lure to tourists.
The city is populated by tourists who come to lose themselves in the city’s museums, architectural wonders, and cuisine. The city is a large marketplace place. It is the best place to get a bargain on a fancy purse and a portrait of one’s self at the same time.
Cape Town, South Africa
This city, located on the coastline of South Africa, is the base for the country’s government and its second largest economic center. It is a popular destination for persons who want to take in the breath-taking views of the city from its famous landmark, the Table Mountain.
Cape Town offers stretches of beaches, restaurants and artistically designed gardens to pleasure seekers and nature lovers. The cultural diversity of the city is reflected in the different types of architecture and art found throughout the city.
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Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
The city of Abidjan is the place for the workaholic executive. The city is dominated by some of the tallest skyscrapers in Cote d’Ivoire and Africa. Major government buildings and international bodies are located in this city.
The center for the country’s economic activities, Abidjan is referred to as Cote d’Ivoire’s economic capital.
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Cairo, Egypt
This city that never sleeps is the largest city in Egypt and the Arab world. This city is built on the banks of the River Nile and its surrounding regions have some of the longest recorded histories in the world. Cairo is home to the second-largest university in the world.
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Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi is the capital of Nigeria and the center of the country’s financial and industrial activities. Do not be surprised if you happen to be walking in town one day and a giraffe comes over and nudges your shoulder. While I am sure that will not happen, Nairobi is the only city with a game reserve within its limits.
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Algiers, Algeria
Located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Algiers provides a few beaches for its residents and visitors.
Traveling further into the city, one is enveloped by the hustle and bustle created by the economic and commercial activities of the city’s inhabitants. The city holds some of the most stunning monuments, built to mark important dates in the country’s history.
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Tripoli, Libya
Tripoli is the capital city of Tripoli one of the oldest cities in Africa. Tripoli’s history is so long that even your great grandmother many times over will not be able to recall its beginnings. The city has a number of historical buildings and its location on the Mediterranean Sea creates the perfect environment for beaches.
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Durban, South Africa
A booming manufacturing industry and a bustling seaport are the drivers of Durban's economy. The geographic location of the city, however, makes it easy to forget about work.
The city has a long stretch of beach appropriately titled the Golden Mile on which the city’s many millionaires and visitors spend their days. The city and its many attractions provide an escape for thousands of visitors. The New 7 Wonders Foundation listed it as one of the New 7 Wonders cities in the world.
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Abuja, Nigeria
Unlike other cities that developed over-time, the city of Abuja was designed and built in the 1980s. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in African and living here might cost you an arm and two legs.
Impressive architecture that houses the country’s government ministries and corporations leave visitors in awe as much as the large monolith known as the Aso Rock just outside of Abuja.
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Tunis, Tunisia
Tunis is the city to which citizens migrate to improve their lives. The metropolitan of Tunisia, it consists of large corporations and government buildings. The city offerings of sandy beaches, shopping centers, historical architecture, nightlife, cuisine, and traditional markets make it a very popular destination.
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Kigali, Rwanda
Kigali is the capital city of Tanzania and the cleanest city in Africa. The city houses government buildings and skyscrapers. The government hires groups of women to sweep and tend the trees that line the streets of Kigali.
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Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s capital, the seat of government and centre of commercial activity. The inhabitants of the city are from different cultural/ethnic groups. The cityscape consists of high rise buildings and buildings that represent the influence of the many different ethnic groups found in the city.
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Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Malabo, like all other capitals, is the center of the country’s financial and political activities. The city’s buildings are a mixture of its African culture and that of its former colonial masters.
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Marrakesh, Morocco
Marrakesh is a city in Morocco that is starting to attract the attention of tourists. The city has a very large souk (market) that lures tourists to come and spend fortunes in them.
There are gardens for nature lovers, commercial malls for the ordinary shopper, and a vibrant nightlife for tourists who want to have a good time.
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Djenne, Mali
Djenne is a town located in Mali. The city boasts buildings constructed from adobe and the Great Mosque. It is a great place to visit for students of the religion of Islam. The city hosts a weekly Monday market which serves as a magnet for tourists.
Maputo, Mozambique
Maputo is the capital city of Mozambique. The hub of the country’s political and commercial activities, Mozambicans come to the city to find jobs on the harbor or in one of the many manufacturing companies.
The city of Maputo has beautifully designed and constructed architecture and is known for having streets lined with arcadia trees.
Windhoek, Namibia
The city of Windhoek hosts all the country’s financial, political and cultural activities. The city has beautifully designed streets and architecture that house government and financial organizations. Windhoek offers a blend of European and African influences.
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Lamu, Kenya
Lamu is a small town on a small island attached to Kenya. It is listed as one as "the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa” on the World Heritage List. It is the perfect destination for persons who want to explore mosques and travel in carts drawn by donkeys, the only form of transportation in town.
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Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
The city of Bahir Dar is located in Ethiopia and is one of the country's best cities. It serves as a stop-over point for tourists who want to explore Lake Tana and the Blue Nile. The city is known internationally for its very wide avenue bordered on both sides by palm trees.
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Final Say on African Cities
Wow, what architecture, what beauty; the landscapes, the aerial shots! Africa truly is home to some of the most beautiful human-made architecture and home to some of the best cities on this planet.
When most people think of Africa, they do not think of the marvels seen in some of the cities above; what then can we expect 20 years from now if the nations continue to develop quickly and economies prosper? Only better things we hope!
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