Informality in Globalizing African Cities: Hybridity Toward Southern Decoloniality

The quintessential African urban question of the twenty-first century is deciphering the place of informality in globalizing cities. In this article, we critique the normative reading and operationalization of Saskia Sassen's original theorization of the Global City and argue that the quest for globality by African cities could be strengthened with a focus on informality. Drawing on a Southern decolonial lens, we contend that the ongoing Sustainable, Smart, and New City developments reflect neocolonial city-making ideals that regard informality as an aberration and a nuisance. Instead, we suggest the adoption of a hybridized and heterogeneous approach to urban development that is more attuned to the local and cultural realities of African cities.