Land Value for All - Advancing Housing Equity in African Cities

Rapid urbanisation across Africa is outpacing public budgets, constraining governments’ ability to deliver housing, infrastructure, and basic services. At the same time, rising urban land values—largely driven by public investment and planning decisions—present an opportunity. Land Value Capture (LVC) enables cities to reclaim part of these socially created gains and reinvest them into affordable housing, climate-resilient infrastructure, and more equitable urban development. African cities are increasingly adapting LVC to local institutional, legal, and market realities rather than importing global models. Experiences from South Africa, Rwanda, and Egypt illustrate how context-specific tools can work under conditions of limited fiscal space, fragmented land markets, and deep spatial inequality. In South Africa, inclusionary zoning is emerging as a key instrument to link private development with affordable housing delivery in well-located areas. In Rwanda, strong land administration reforms and digital systems provide a solid foundation for density bonuses, land readjustment, and development conditions, supported by the GIZ “Climate-Sensitive, Socially Just Planning and Housing” project. In Egypt, renewed reforms and UN-Habitat-supported land readjustment pilots demonstrate how land consolidation and value sharing can unlock serviced land for housing and infrastructure. Building on UN-Habitat’s forthcoming African Flagship Report on Land Value Capture, this session will examine how African cities are operationalising LVC to deliver socially just housing. Through practical case studies, the discussion will explore how inclusionary zoning, land readjustment, and density-based incentives can align private development with public goals. The panel will address the political, technical, and institutional conditions required for effective LVC, including governance, land and market data, incentive calibration, and community participation. Bringing together city officials, planners, policymakers, developers, and researchers, the networking event will generate actionable lessons for embedding LVC within planning systems and translating urban growth into tangible housing and infrastructure outcomes, while strengthening Africa’s voice in global urban finance debates.