A massive issue for consumer lifestyles in major cities in a large number of Sub Saharan African cities is the lack of effective rapid transit systems and the corresponding traffic problems that happen because it is. When large numbers of commuters try to get into, and out of, cities as they go to and from work the results can be ruinous. It’s not just the lack of rapid transit systems: it’s the way major cities have grown for decades without effective urban planning.

In 2015, UN data indicates that there were around 90 cities in Sub Saharan Africa with populations over 500,000, although this underplays the true number of large cities. By 2025, the UN estimates there will be around 150 cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants. The lack of mass transit systems across Africa is a serious drain on productivity and time. Not just for the commuters stuck in traffic trying to get to and from work, but all the goods being moved from A to B. When, for example, distributors in Lagos try and explain to brand owners what sort of channel coverage a day’s work for a van might involve they’re often met with disbelief.. until they see the traffic problems for themselves.

We’re about to launch the next set of our consumer lifestyles data, which help us understand not just how consumers live but how much demand on their time they have. When we last looked at it, Tanzania topped the table for time pressure: a combination of long working hours, high rates of female employment, and low levels of time saving facilities and equipment like electric/gas cooking, water and sanitation in the home.. as well as long commutes.

So it’s interesting to see the impact of a new bus system in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and home to more than 5m people. Research indicates that the new system, called DART, has reduced commute times by more than half for some residents. For the 160,000 commuters the system currently serves, it saves on 16 days’ worth of travel each year. When we map out consumer trends and look at how household income growth opens up new living conditions, lifestyles, shopping behaviours and attitudes it’s also worth remembering that until mass transit systems catch up, commuters often remain very time pressed.