The 14th Global Forum on Global Settlements themed around the 'Sustainable Development of Cities and Human Settlements in the Digital Era' was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 5-6 September. In his opening remarks, Director of the Africa Center for Statistics, Oliver Chingaya noted that when discussing smart cities and digital citizenship, one also needs to consider the lack of digital infrastructure in Africa that affects the Internet and mobile telephony in terms of 'speed, volume and reliability'. The conference aimed to allow concerned stakeholders to discuss opportunities that digital transformation can contribute to making cities in African countries more sustainable and smarter.