The Africa Smart Cities and Communities Platform (ASCCOP), is a platform that shares experiences, benchmarks, best practices and lessons learned in implementing Smart Cities and communities projects in Africa. It adds value for its members on agenda-setting and next-generation projects. As administrators of the platform, we use our ingenuity to save our members money and time, reduce risks, increase efficiency, maximise sustainable outcomes and advance best practice. Furthermore, it addresses problems relating to poor access to information by African cities and communities, and allows them to share their situations, problems and achievements in relation to environmental, urban and fiscal sustainability. The Platform therefore aims to improve the quality of life by addressing problems associated with both urban cities and rural communities in relation to the built environment, water, technology, transportation, energy, healthcare, and public safety.We do this through innovative thinking and by mobilising cross-sector, international perspectives, drawing on the immense talent and energy of our people - designers, engineers, project and programme managers, management consultants, environmentalists, planners, economists, business strategists, infrastructure finance advisors, public private partnership experts, cost consultants, low carbon specialists, technology experts, safety advisors, health and education specialists, development policy advisors and more to come up with innovative solutions to the major environmental, societal and health challenges facing African cities and communities today.