Wits University Explores Africa’s Urban Adaptation Through Improvisation and Social Intelligence

In the rapidly evolving landscape of African urbanization, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is at the forefront of groundbreaking research that redefines how we understand city-making on the continent. Through its African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS), Wits has launched the Atlas of Uncertainty project, a multidisciplinary initiative exploring urban adaptation via improvisation and social intelligence. This effort highlights how everyday practices in cities like Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Accra shape resilient urban environments amid migration, climate pressures, and economic flux.

The project challenges traditional views of African cities as chaotic or underdeveloped. Instead, it positions them as laboratories of innovation, where residents creatively repurpose resources—a process known as bricolage or improvisation—to build functional urban spaces. Social intelligence, the ability to navigate complex social networks and negotiate shared resources, emerges as a key driver, fostering community-driven solutions that formal planning often overlooks.

Pioneering Research at Wits' African Centre for Migration & Society

Established as a hub for migration studies, ACMS at Wits bridges disciplines like sociology, political science, and urban planning. Led by figures such as Research Professor Loren B. Landau, who also holds a professorship at the University of Oxford, and urban sociologist Caroline Wanjiku Kihato, the centre conducts fieldwork in Africa's dynamic urban gateways. PhD candidate Carina Kanbi and Dr. Kabiri Bule contribute through theses and research on mobility in cultural capitals like Lagos and Accra.

ACMS trains the next generation of scholars, offering master's and doctoral programs that emphasize empirical research in real-world urban settings. This aligns with South Africa's higher education push to address continental challenges, producing graduates equipped for roles in policy, urban design, and international development.

The Atlas of Uncertainty: A Multimodal Knowledge Project

The Atlas combines surveys from migrant-heavy neighborhoods, essays, poetry, soundscapes, artworks, and innovative cartography to move "from the census to the senses." Launching with an exhibition at Wits' Origins Centre from April 18 to July 3, 2026, it will travel to Accra, Nairobi, and Amsterdam in 2027. The accompanying book, published by Actar and Wits University Press, arrives in January 2027.

This format reflects Wits' commitment to accessible scholarship, blending quantitative data with qualitative insights to capture intangible elements like dreams, moralities, and imaginations that influence urban life.

Urban Improvisation in Action: Case Studies from Key Cities

In Johannesburg's Somali communities, clan-based dispute resolution via WhatsApp operates parallel to formal systems, demonstrating improvised governance. Nairobi neighborhoods use witchcraft accusations as social controls, while Accra repurposes colonial planning logics for modern needs. These examples illustrate bricolage: residents assemble available materials—social ties, recycled goods, informal economies—to create livable spaces.

• Johannesburg: Inner-city migrants knit invisible networks for housing and security.
• Nairobi: Street posters inspire speculative art symbolizing non-linear migration paths.
• Accra: Cultural capitals foster cosmopolitan lifeworlds through mobility.

Such practices address poverty and climate vulnerabilities, like flooding in informal settlements, where social bonds enable quick recoveries.

Photo by Boitshoko Morobeng on Unsplash

Social Intelligence: The Glue of African Urban Resilience

Social intelligence—reading cues, building alliances, negotiating access—powers adaptation. In Africa's informal economies, 56% of urban dwellers rely on networks for survival. Wits research shows migrants not as burdens but city-makers, with 80% of intra-African migration staying continental, reshaping demographics.

By 2050, Africa's urban population will reach 1.4 billion, doubling current figures. South Africa's metros, home to 67% urbanites, exemplify this, with Johannesburg's gateways absorbing diverse flows while combating inequality.

Challenges and Broader Implications for Climate and Poverty

Rapid urbanization strains resources: over half of Africans in informal settlements face insecure tenure and services. Climate change exacerbates floods and heat, yet improvisation yields solutions like community water systems in Lagos slums.

Wits' work informs policy, advocating ground-up knowledge to enhance resilience. For South African higher education, it underscores the need for interdisciplinary curricula in urban studies.

Wits' Contributions to South African Higher Education

As a leading SA university, Wits invests in urban-focused programs through ACMS and the School of Architecture. Partnerships like the Wits-Oxford Mobility Governance Lab train students in advanced methods, producing alumni for global think tanks and governments.

This research elevates SA's role in continental discourse, attracting funding and collaborations. For aspiring academics, Wits offers lecturer positions in migration and urban planning, vital amid faculty shortages.

Explore opportunities at university jobs in South Africa.

Global Lessons from African Urban Innovation

Africa's navigation of uncertainty—economic shocks, pandemics, climate events—offers blueprints for worldwide cities. Wits scholars argue for embracing productive uncertainty over rigid planning.

In SA, this translates to inclusive policies for informal areas, reducing poverty cycles. Future outlooks predict scaled co-design models, like Wits' Westbury pilot, for smart cities.

Photo by LT Ngema on Unsplash

Future Directions: Exhibitions, Publications, and Education

Post-exhibition, the Atlas will influence curricula at Wits and partners. Training in visual ethnography and participatory mapping equips students for adaptive urban futures.

Stakeholders—from policymakers to NGOs—gain actionable insights: prioritize social networks in planning. Wits continues leading via events and fellowships.

Actionable Insights for Urban Planners and Educators

• Integrate migrant voices in city planning.
• Invest in interdisciplinary training at universities.
• Map invisible infrastructures like social media governance.
• Scale bricolage for climate-resilient designs.

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