article_snippet: over half the world's population live in cities -- more than 54% of us did in 2014.
article_snippet: Mass urbanization is proving to be "the single most important transformation" the world is seeing in the 21st century, according to Jamal Saghir, director of sustainable development at the World Bank, and Mass urbanization shows no signs of letting up.
article_snippet: By 2050, the U.N. predicts 66% of us will call a city our home.
article_snippet: It is generally accepted that cities are the engines of economic growth, and nowhere are these engines firing harder, or populations growing faster, than in the developing world.
article_snippet: With burgeoning higher education systems and enviably young workforces, African cities in particular are booming.
article_snippet: Analysts cited the age of North African cities as a determining factor, with strong infrastructure across the board, incubating an environment for human capital to thrive.
article_snippet: However, sub-Saharan cities registered among the highest in terms of society and demographics, excelling in diversity and population growth, both useful when looking towards future investment.
article_snippet: GDP growth, ease of doing business, attracting FDI, middle class and overall population growth
article_snippet: That being said, one city's development does not preclude another's.
highlights_snippet: North African capitals dominate, but there are signs that sub-Saharan cities will come into sub-Saharan cities own in the near future .