Africa's tallest buildings: Who rules continent's skies in 2025?

Africa’s architectural landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, with a boom in construction redefining the continent's skylines.

South Africa previously held a monopoly on super-tall structures, but the centre of gravity has shifted North and East.

Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and Ethiopia have entered the race, pushing established landmarks down the rankings.

Iconic Tower in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital is the tallest building on the continent.

Reaching 393.8 metres, this supertall skyscraper anchors the Central Business District of the new city constructed east of Cairo.

Completed in 2024, the 77-floor tower houses offices, luxury apartments, and a hotel.

Egypt continues its dominance with Alamein Iconic Tower, the centrepiece of the New Alamein City project on the Mediterranean coast.

Structurally topped out in 2024, this skyscraper rises to approximately 300 metres.

While shorter than its counterpart in the New Administrative Capital, it cements Egypt's position as the hub for vertical construction in Africa.

It forms part of a massive coastal development aimed at creating a year-round business and tourism destination.

Completed in 2019, the minaret of Djamaa el-Djazaïr (Great Mosque of Algiers) stands at 264.3 metres.

While primarily a religious structure, it is classified as a building due to 37 floors of usable space, including a museum, research centre, and observation deck.

It held the title of Africa's tallest structure for nearly five years before Egyptian projects surpassed it.

It remains the tallest building in the Maghreb region.

Morocco enters the top tier with Mohammed VI Tower in Salé, overlooking the Bou Regreg river and Rabat.

Standing 250 metres tall, this 55-storey mixed-use skyscraper was completed in 2024.

The tower features a luxury hotel, offices, and high-end apartments.

Its completion marked a significant milestone for West Africa, bringing the region its first true super-tall skyscraper.

Located in Sandton, Johannesburg, The Leonardo held the title of Africa's tallest building briefly following completion in 2019.

Standing at 234 metres, it is a 55-floor mixed-use development comprising luxury residential apartments, offices, and a hotel.

It dethroned the Carlton Centre, which had held the continental record for over four decades.

The Leonardo remains the tallest building in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For 46 years, Carlton Centre in downtown Johannesburg was the tallest building in Africa.

Completed in 1973, it stands 223 metres tall with 50 floors.

Once the premier address for business in the Southern Hemisphere, it remains a significant landmark despite the shift of corporate power to Sandton.

It houses the headquarters of Transnet and serves as a major shopping and office complex.

East Africa’s tallest building is the headquarters of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) in Addis Ababa.

Inaugurated in February 2022, the 53-storey tower rises 209.3 metres.

The building symbolises Ethiopia's banking modernisation and economic growth.

Its completion shifted the regional height record from Nairobi to Addis Ababa, marking a new era of competition in East African architecture.

The scale of construction in Egypt is evident in the Alamein Downtown Towers complex.

This project includes four residential skyscrapers, D01, D02, D03, and D04, each topping out at approximately 208 metres.

These towers reached their structural peak in 2024 and are part of the rapid urbanisation of Egypt's northern coast.

Their collective presence pushes several established African skyscrapers down the rankings.

Kenya’s Britam Tower, located in Upper Hill, Nairobi, stands at 200.1 metres.

Completed in 2017, it was the first building in East Africa to surpass the 200-metre mark.

The 31-storey prismatic tower houses the headquarters of Britam Holdings and offers premium office space.

While surpassed regionally by CBE Headquarters and continentally by recent North African projects, it remains a defining feature of Nairobi’s skyline and the tallest building in Kenya.

Rounding out the top ten is another entry from Egypt’s New Administrative Capital.

The D01 Tower, a residential and administrative building, stands at 196 metres.

Completed as part of the initial phase of the new capital's Central Business District, it illustrates the depth of Egypt’s vertical ambitions, where secondary towers in a single development now rival the tallest structures in other major African cities.

Just outside the top ten sits Nairobi GTC Office Tower in Westlands, rising to 184 metres.

It serves as the tallest tower within the Global Trade Centre complex and is the second-tallest building in Kenya.

Nearby, UAP Old Mutual Tower in Upper Hill stands at 163 metres, having held the Kenyan record briefly before Britam Tower's completion.

South Africa retains significant height with Ponte City in Johannesburg at 173 metres, a residential cylinder that remains an architectural icon.