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African Journal of Urbanism, Architecture, and Building (AJUAB) Volume 1, Number 1, June 2025

About This Edition

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On behalf of the editorial board, I am pleased to announce the debut of the African Journal of Urbanism, Architecture and Building (AJUAB). The journal provides a much-needed platform for academics, practitioners and urban change makers, including architects, urban designers, planners, Southern urbanists, policy makers, analysts and building experts to share evidence-based knowledge that is locally grounded in the African context and relevant on the many aspects of the built environment in the Global South.

The inaugural volume signals the importance of housing and the complexities of sustainable development in African cities in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Kenya. The five papers in this issue reflect the primary aims of the journal to explore the multiplicity of African urbanisms against a backdrop of environmental challenges, social inequalities and economic crisis. The articles were carefully selected to keep within the remits of the journal, whilst reaching a spread over different context conditions and including various methods of research.

The issue opens with a paper by Lindokuhle Matshika and Karen Puren who examine self-help housing in the Global South. The study employs a bibliometric analysis over a thirty-year period, 1994 to 2024, to map the evolutions of self-help housing research. The findings reveal six core thematic clusters including low-cost housing materials, informal settlements and self-building, urbanization and infrastructure, poverty and socio-economic factors, urban planning and housing policy and water management and environmental sustainability. The study provides key recommendations including strengthening regional research networks, interdisciplinary approaches and a dedicated platform to support inclusive housing policies.

In their comparative study, Hlengiwe Hlobisile Khoza and Ricky Munyaradzi Mukonza review the allocation of subsidy housing in rural and urban areas in Tshwane, South Africa. The article examines the significant challenges associated with subsidy housing allocations, which have significantly contributed to the housing backlog in South African municipalities. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach to understand two specific areas being Winterveldt, representing a rural setting, and Soshanguve, as an urban context. The findings suggest that whilst the municipality has applied relevant actions, there are still notable challenges such as long delays in housing allocation, corrupt housing waiting lists and poor-quality housing delivery, amongst other challenges.

The following paper by Amandah Chinoganhira and Dumisani Ngwenya unpacks the complexity of living in an informal settlement in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The article explores the lived experiences of residents of Ngozi Mine, located at the Richmond Sanitary Landfill. Through the lens of intersectionality and resilience theory, the study draws on qualitative methods, including interviews and focus groups discussions, that highlight the challenges including gender-based violence, economic marginalization and exclusion of living in a peripheral settlement. The study calls for a prioritization of gender-sensitive and community-driving approaches to urban upgrading and appropriate informal settlement development.

Next, Dorcas Ayeni investigates sustainable urban planning and development for Kogi State in Nigeria. The article explores the challenges, opportunities and participatory strategies for achieving sustainable urban development through a qualitative approach, including stakeholder interviews and a literature review with a focus on Kogi State. Integrated land-use planning, green infrastructure development, effective resource management and community empowerment are recommended to achieve a more sustainable urban future.

The final contribution by Naftaly Mose, Erickson Matundura, Paul Odwori, Emmanuel Tanui, Martha Moreka, and Eunice Mutai present a paper on the macroeconomic determinants of housing supply in Kenya between 1980 and 2024. Using a quantitative methodology of cointegration tests with the Vector Error Correction Model, the findings suggest that governments should explore methods to develop financial products and instruments to provide favourable macroeconomic environments for investors and individuals to enable housing supply.

The journal seeks to question the status quo of urban design proposals and frameworks, rethink planning paradigms, understand relevant architectural designs, interventions and building techniques; and to publish research on transformative practices and experimental approaches that present alternatives to future development in Africa. We invite researchers, professionals and students to engage in the journal, submit their work and assist in shaping future editions. We value constructive feedback and seek to continue to improve the quality and reach of AJUAB.

As acting Editor-in-Chief, I extend my appreciation to the contributors of this first issues, the reviewers and the editorial team for their commitment to building this platform.

Until the next issue.

Kathryn Ewing

Acting Editor-in-Chief

Journal of African Urbanism, Architecture and Building

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