ABOUT UMS
URBAN MOBILITY SUMMIT
The Urban Mobility Summit (UMS) is Africa’s leading platform advancing sustainable urban mobility, integrated urban planning, and transport infrastructure development across African cities. Launched in November 2025, the Summit was established to create a dedicated forum for dialogue and collaboration across the urban mobility ecosystem. It brings together policymakers, transport authorities, infrastructure investors, urban planners, engineers, and mobility innovators to examine practical approaches that strengthen urban transport networks, improve connectivity, and support sustainable urban development.
At its core, UMS focuses on strengthening the link between transport policy, infrastructure planning, and implementation. The platform captures insights, commitments, and sector intelligence emerging from dialogue and translates them into practical approaches that support more efficient, inclusive, and climate-conscious mobility systems.
Strategic Context
As urbanisation accelerates across Africa, mobility is becoming increasingly central to economic productivity, spatial inclusion, climate resilience, and the overall functioning of cities. How people and goods move within rapidly growing urban environments will shape access to opportunity, patterns of development, and the long-term sustainability of African cities.
UMS responds to this context by providing a strategic forum where transport policy, urban planning, infrastructure investment, and mobility innovation intersect to advance solutions that improve urban transport systems and strengthen mobility networks. Under the 2026 theme “From Policy to Streets: Delivering Climate-Conscious, Inclusive Urban Mobility” the Summit focuses on translating urban mobility strategies into practical outcomes. Discussions centre on key priorities shaping the future of urban mobility in Africa, including the transition to low-emission and climate-smart transport systems, the development of inclusive mobility networks that improve access and affordability, and the alignment of transport systems with urban planning and spatial development.
The Summit also addresses the role of smart mobility technologies, digital mobility platforms, and data-driven transport systems, alongside the investment models and infrastructure partnerships required to deliver large-scale urban mobility projects.
Audience Overview
- National, provincial, and municipal governments
- Mobility platforms and OEMs
- Transport authorities
- Energy and climate institutions
- Development finance institutions
- Urban planners, engineers, Consultants
- Research institutions and academia
- Innovators and civil society
UMS Framework
UMS operates through a structured framework that connects strategic dialogue with practical implementation insight across the urban mobility ecosystem. It provides a platform for policy leaders, infrastructure planners, investors, and mobility innovators to exchange experience, share city case studies, and strengthen collaboration around improving urban transport systems.
Through discussions, knowledge exchange, and curated urban immersions, the framework highlights approaches to advancing sustainable, inclusive, and investment-ready mobility solutions across African cities.
