In February 2012 the Africa Research Institute published Whatever Happened to Africa´s Rapid Urbanisation? This publication analyses the last 20 years of African urbanisation.
The central argument of the author of this publication is that it is a fallacy that urbanisation is occurring faster in sub-Saharan Africa than anywhere else in the world, as migrants move from rural to urban settlements.
"While the populations of numerous urban areas are growing rapidly, the urbanisation levels of many countries are increasing slowly - if at all. Natural increase, rather than net immigration, is the predominant growth factor in most urban populations. African governments, policymakers and international donors need to acknowledge fundamental changes in urbanisation trends, and respond to the irrefutable messages these impart regarding urban employment, incomes and economic development". Source: UCLG Committee on Decentralisation and Local Self-Government