25 – 29 May 2025

Cape Town, South Africa

Urbanisation is an irreversible reality already shaping Africa’s future; we must embrace and actively transform our cities… or risk being overwhelmed by them.

We live in a state of catalytic tension. Steeped in a polycrisis that interlays access to resources, climate impacts, unemployment, limited mobility, human-nature conflict and deficits of leadership, it is easy for us to become paralysed, especially when many of the drivers of these crises seem beyond our control. As individuals and communities, we are impacted by the choices and actions made by others — by businesses, networks, organisations, leaders, neighbours — both within and beyond the African context. Despite the paralytic potential of this polycrisis, we ask, “How can we not act?!” Amidst acknowledging the already strained systems in our African cities, we are still drawn to them as sites of hope and innovation. Hope has an incredible property that helps us navigate the winding pathways of possibility, revealing that even in the midst of calamity, there are always ways to address our challenges. How might we inspire individuals and communities to take action to meet their present and future dreams? Better yet, what transformations need to take place for their imaginaries to become tangible, positively impacting their lives?

 View the ‘Cities in Motion’ Exhibition!

This exhibition brings together six years of visual storytelling from the RISE Africa photo competitions, tracing urban life across the continent and inviting us to explore motion not as mere movement, but as a layered, living language of transformation, evolution and growth.  

Introducing the first ever series of Microtalks shared at the 2025 Urban Action Festival! Microtalks are engaging two-minute presentations that highlight locally-driven actions shaping African cities. Watch for inspiring urban projects and solutions led by researchers, government officials, private sector representatives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Microtalks showcase innovation, spark collaboration, and inspire change! Learn more about Microtalks and email us if you would like to submit one to RISE Africa!

Festival themes

Festival side events and experiences