Cities are complex systems, and across Africa, are growing at a rapid rate unprecedented in urban history. While the scale and pressure of urbanization are overwhelming, this agglomeration of activity offers an incredible opportunity for development. At the same time, the confluence of efforts to promote financial inclusion, urban development, infrastructure investment, and macroeconomic policy attention create a uniquely enabling environment for the growth of housing in particular. As a government, the private sector, and households and communities themselves find their places in the housing ecosystem, innovation is being found along with each link in the housing value chain.  Lenders, investors, builders, and suppliers are getting much better at identifying and targeting niche markets. If not yet a move away from the attraction of largescale, massive developments, we can see increasing attention towards the notion of “massive small”: the opportunity to be found in the connected results of many small projects and initiatives at the local level that together adds up to something big.

CAHF has been exploring the housing value chain across Africa for years, making the point that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link and highlighting the challenges as they arise along the chain. Standing out this year, across the continent, and in specific local contexts, is evidence of innovation along the value chain in virtually every link.