The current and projected growth in African cities creates significant opportunities for real estate on the continent but also presents serious challenges in the form of infrastructure deficits, urban management and the financial viability of cities in general. While many of these opportunities and challenges are experienced elsewhere in the world, the nature and scale of them are unique to South Africa and the rest of the continent. For this reason, the main aim of the Research Unit is to provide a unique inter-disciplinary research platform for academia that promotes the identification of issues and seeks solutions to urban real estate investment, finance, economics and management problems in Africa.