Lots of tall buildings and architectural masterpieces can be found across the world. The history of skyscrapers in Africa began with the construction of the Carlton Centre in 1967, which was finally completed in 1974. It was regarded as the tallest building in Africa until 2019. In Africa, we cannot mention Skyscrapers without including South Africa, a country that has no doubt worked itself up to the top when it comes to having the tallest buildings.
Below is a list of the tallest buildings in Africa.
- Leonardo, South Africa
On November 17, 2015, the construction of Leonardo began. This 227-meter-tall, 56-floor building located at 75 Maude Street, 100m away from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton, South Africa, topped out in April 2019, officially becoming the tallest building in Africa.
- Carlton Centre, South Africa
Previously known as the tallest building in Africa upon its completion in 1973, the 223-meter tall skyscraper and shopping center located in Johannesburg, South Africa, was designed by Skidmore, Owings, Merrill, an architectural firm in the United States, and closely resembles the popular One Seneca Tower in Buffalo, Newyork which was also completed in 1973.
- UAP Tower, Kenya
The UAP Tower remained the tallest building in Kenya until the construction of Britam Tower.The 33-story building is about 163-meter-tall and provides about 300,000 square feet of Grade A office space in Upper Hill, Nairobi’s fastest growing commercial area. It was officially opened in July 2016,after more than five years of construction.
4. Britam Tower, Kenya
The Britam Tower surpassed UAP Old Mutual Tower and officially became the tallest building in Kenya. The 31-story tower is a 200-meter-tall office complex located in Upper Hill, Nairobi. Its construction started in 2013, and although completed in September 2017, it was officially opened to the public in July 2018, almost one year later. The building has a unique design as it resembles a black pyramid with the top corner missing from one view and from another view. It looks more like a slender black prism.
5. Ponte City, South Africa
The 54-storey, 172.8-meter-tall skyscraper was built in 1975and is located in the Berea suburb of Johannesburg. Ponte City was designed by Manfred Hermer, a South African architect, and not only breaks the record as the tallest building in Africa but is also the first cylindrical skyscraper in Africa with a cylindrical design with an open center that permits additional natural light into the apartments.
6. Nairobi GTC Office Tower
Nairobi GTC office tower is one of the tallest buildings in Kenya. The 184-meter tall, 43-story office block is the tallest of the six towers of the Sh40 billion Global Trade Centre, and in the nearest future, it may be the Africa headquarters for Chinese firm Avic seeking to base its continental hub in Westlands, Nairobi.
7Â NECOM House, Nigeria
The 158-meter-tall skyscraper located in Lagos was previously known as NITEL Tower and the NET building. The NECOM house was completed in 1979 and remains the tallest building in Nigeria to date. It is the headquarters of the former state-run telco, the Nigerian Telecommunication Limited.
8 CBE Headquarters, Ethiopia
The commercial bank of Ethiopia(CBE)Tower in Addis Ababa is a 46-story,198-meter building of about150,000 square meter building located near the Ethiopia Hotel off RasDesta Damtew Street and serves as the headquarters of the bank. The skyscraper overtook the AU Conference center, officially becoming the tallest building in Ethiopia.
- Tanzania Ports Authority Tower, Tanzania
This 157-meter-tall tower, completed in 2016, became the tallest building in Tanzania. The 40-story building located in Dar es Salaam is the headquarters of the Tanzania Ports Authority.
- PSPF Towers, Tanzania
The PSP twin tower, also located in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is a 153-meter-tall 35-story building designed to host numerous office setups with the flexible module it offers.
- Marble Tower, South Africa
Marble tower is a 32-story building that tops the Pearl Dawn building in Durban by just a centimeter. The 173-meter-tall skyscraper built-in 1973 is made from concrete and marble. It is one of the popular areas in Johannesburg and is home to the largest electronic advertising board in South Africa.
12. Pearl Dawn, South Africa
Last on our list is the Pearl Dawn, a 152-meter-tall skyscraper located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The 31-story building was completed in 2008 and is one of South Africa’s recent skyscrapers built.
