The Brenthurst Foundation’s Future of African Cities project was formally launched at the Tswalu Dialogue at the Kalahari Tswalu Reserve in South Africa, 20–22 May 2016. Participants at the dialogue included senior officials representing many of the cities on the list of case studies that will form the bedrock of the project, as well as experts on urbanisation and development.The dialogue was chaired by the Chairman of The Brenthurst Foundation, Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria, and the former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga. The former Prime Minister of Togo, Gilbert Huongbo, and the Premier of Gauteng province (SA), David Makhura, were amongst other notable attendees. Through extensive field work, original research and collaboration, the project aims to highlight policy options and practical actions that can be taken to harness the key megatrends impacting Africa – from rapid demographic expansion to technological advancements – to promote stability and economic growth. The objective of the inaugural dialogue on African cities was to subject the project’s methodology and research questions to critical examination, in the light of international best practice and experiences.