20 Construction Projects That Will Transform Major African Cities In 2021

architecture-buildings

With progress comes change and when change comes, it comes in different ways. Oftentimes, it comes with new construction projects that invite development. From the construction of schools and hospitals to megaprojects transforming a part of a country into a megacity, join us as we explore the countries in Africa and the construction projects that will aid their development.

1. The Marine Drive Project – Accra, Ghana

construction projects

The Marine Drive project is a government initiative that aims to develop sections of the coastline of Accra into a state of the art tourism and hospitality district. This district will have tourist resorts with facilities such as hotels, shopping malls, casinos, water theme parks, 15-floor office complex, conference and exhibition centers, a playground, and a beach soccer pitch, among others. This construction project will cover over 240 acres of land stretching from the Christianborg Castle in Osu through the Independence Square to Baiden Powell near the Arts Centre in downtown Accra.

2. Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – Ethiopia

construction projects

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is an ongoing construction project since 2011. The current cost of this project is $4.8bn. It is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 15 km (9 mi) east of the border with Sudan. At 6,450 MW, the dam will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa when completed. Also, it will be the 7th largest in the world. The project is currently 71% complete and the reservoir is slated to commence being filled in July 2020. The reservoir will take from 5 to 15 years to fill with water.

3. New Administrative Capital Project – Egypt

construction projects

The New Administrative capital construction project began in 2015. However, it is yet to be completed. The city is located 45 kilometers (28 miles) east of Cairo and just outside the Second Greater Cairo Ring road. It will become the new administrative and financial capital of Egypt. Also, it will have a population of 6.5 million people. However, that figure could rise to seven million. The city is to be called Wedian, the Egyptian Arabic plural for “Wadi”.

4. Lagos-Calabar Railway Nigeria

construction projects

The 1,400-kilometre Lagos-Calabar railway, which will cost $10bn, is one of the major construction projects in Africa. It was initially contracted to a Chinese company. However, Ameri Metro Inc. has shown interest in the project after the Chinese failed to raise the funds. The Lagos-Calabar railway will connect the cities of Port Harcourt, Uyo, and Aba.

5. Kenya Standard Gauge Railway – Kenya

construction projects

The standard gauge railway will run from Mombasa to Malaba, stretching to 969km. This is one of the largest and ambitious construction projects for developing transportation infrastructure. The cost of the project is $9.9bn. However, the project is approaching the second phase of completion. The railway line is expected to move to Kisumu at a cost of US $3.7bn.

6. Bagamoyo Port Tanzania

construction projects

The Bagamoyo port in Tanzania is set to be the largest port in East and Central Africa. This construction project is a joint venture agreement between Tanzania, China, and Oman. China Merchants Port is building the port while an Omani sovereign wealth fund will establish a 1,700-hectare special economic zone adjacent to the port. The project’s estimated cost is $10bn. The port will be able to handle twenty times more cargo than the port in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest port.

7. Phase II of Nambungali-Roma road – Mozambique

construction projects

This road construction project will complement the Unity Bridge and significantly reduce travel time to the ports of Pemba in Mozambique and Mtwara in Tanzania. African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $34 million funding agreement to aid the government of Mozambique in completing the road project.

8. Dangote Oil Refinery Nigeria

construction projects

The Dangote oil refinery construction project is located in Ibeju Lekki district, on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria. The refinery is to be built at an estimated cost of between $12 billion and $14 billion. With a capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude a day, Dangote Oil Refinery will be one of the world’s biggest oil refineries when it begins operations in 2022.

9. Grand Inga Dam – Congo

construction projects

The Grand Inga Dam is a hydroelectric dam at Inga Falls on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The dam is designed to have an average output of 39,000 MW annually. This makes it the world’s largest hydropower scheme. Grand Inga Dam is projected to cost an estimated $100 billion, including the cost of transmission lines needed to carry its power across the continent.

10. Automatic solar-powered water troughs in Savalou – Benin

construction projects

The construction of solar water troughs is a part of the Sustainable Livelihoods Project. The objective of this construction project is to support resilient agriculture, build sustainable livelihoods, and integrate climate risk considerations into national and sub-national planning processes. Ultimately, it will help to reduce the vulnerability of communities to the adverse effects of climate change.

11. The Mambila Hydroelectric Power Project  Nigeria

construction projects

The Mambila Hydroelectric Power Project facility is one of the largest construction projects in Africa. This project is being undertaken by China’s Sinohydro Corp. Its estimated cost is $5.8 billion. It will connect to three dams across the Donga River in Taraba State, Nigeria. The facility will have a total installed capacity of 3,050MW of electricity.

12. Marina Resort Chbika Morocco

construction projects

Chbika Sahara Atlantique will include three or more hotels, 1,851 apartments and villas, a town center, a marina with berths for 100 boats, a sports center, a spa, a medical center, and golf course. The resort will have 2500 rooms making it the biggest construction project in the village of Chbika, in southwestern Morocco.

13. Rabat Bouregreg Tower – Morocco

construction projects

Standing at 250 meters high, with 55 floors, and covering an area of 86,000 m2, the building will be the tallest tower in Africa. The tower design will take ecological and sustainable design concepts into account. It will include offices, hotels, and luxury apartments. The project will cost an estimated $375 million.

14. Lekki Deep Seaport Nigeria

construction projects

Lekki Deep Seaport is ongoing in the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos State, Nigeria. It is one of the largest infrastructure projects of its kind in Western Africa. It is an investment by partners and the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Nigerian government recently projected its completion date to be 2021. The project will gulp about $1.2 bn.

15.  Pinnacle Towers Kenya

construction projects

The 900-feet twin Pinnacle Towers will have 70 floors including a 45-floor Hilton Hotel, 20 floors of offices, 200 residential houses, 3-floor basement parking, gaming zone, 3-floor luxury mall, helipad, and viewing deck. The total cost of the project is to be US$200 million. Spearheaded by Hass Petroleum and White Lotus, the project is located at Upper hill in Nairobi.

16. Solar Park Tunisia

construction projects

The 4.5GW mega construction project would pipe electricity to Malta, Italy, and France using submarine cables. The resulting solar complex would sprawl over an area three times the size of Manhattan, harnessing the power of the Saharan sun with several towers up to 200m tall, according to the Guardian.

17. Malt Plant – Ethiopia

construction projects

Soufflet Group, a French company, laid a foundation at Bole-Lemi Industrial Park to build a malt house. The plant will rest on ten hectares of land, at a location situated strategically in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, conveniently close to the barley growing area. This project will create job opportunities for 300 workers. Also, the spike in the local production of malt will help reduce import spending. The project will cost EUR 70 million.

18. GoDown Art Complex Upgrade Kenya

construction projects

The GoDown art complex is in the industrial area in Nairobi. The center is a non-profit facility that provides subsidized space for Kenyan artists and public programmes for local audiences. It facilitates programs such as Nai ni Who Dunda mtaani, The East African Art summit among others. The development will feature three storeys of art galleries, a 300-seat multipurpose auditorium, a digital resource center, children’s creative studio, and 20 visual art studios. This project will cost $20 million.

19. New Solar Power Plant at Wadi Gadid – Egypt

construction projects

Egypt is planning a second major solar energy project using 10,000 square kilometers of land at Wadi Gadid in the New Valley Governorate. China’s Aton Energy is going to design and manufacture a 250 MW solar plant in the first phase of a solar complex project. In total, up to 15 billion Egyptian pounds ($855.9 million) could be invested in the construction project.

20. Sewage Treatment Plants in Harare – Zimbabwe

construction projects

The Harare City Council of Zimbabwe is to partner with Sinohydro Corporation Limited. This construction project is worth $237 million The sewage treatment project is expected to improve the quality of water, treatment capacity, and curb environmental pollution. Consequently, the council has set up a team of engineers who are currently looking into the proposal and making consultations with Sinohydro.

At African Vibes we are always excited about projects like this because of their prospects to make Africa better. We eagerly wait for the completion of these projects. If the opportunity presents itself, we would love to visit and witness these projects. Which of the projects is the most ambitious for you? Also, tell us which project will positively impact Africa more. Use the comment box below and don’t forget to share with your friends.

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