Over the last decade, the concept of a smart city has garnered significant attention from policymakers and technology developers worldwide as a solution to various urbanization challenges. According to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), urbanization levels in developing economies, particularly in Asia and Oceania, have increased from 44.0% in 2012 to 50.6% in 2022.
In Africa, urbanization has also increased by 4.6 percentage points during the same period. Advances in information and communication technologies, such as the integration of big data and the Internet of Things (IoT), have enabled increased efficiency and quality of urban services and improved quality of life for residents.