Ideological Resonances: Gated Communities as Awkward Symbioses between Collapsed Socialism and Speculative Capitalism in Urban Mozambique

In recent years, sub-Saharan Africa has witnessed a surge in large-scale urban infrastructure and housing projects driven by speculative capitalism. Often financed through public–private partnerships and involving international investors, these developments aim to transform sections of the continent’s cities into habitats for the most affluent segments of society. This article explores the political and ideological foundations that underpin these transformations, in which current practices are linked to the legacy of earlier political ideologies. Focusing on the aftermath of socialism in present-day neoliberal Mozambique, we introduce the concept of ‘ideological resonances’ to explain the coexistence of conflicting ideologies in shaping urban development. By analysing Vila Sol, a late 1980s housing development in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, this study reveals the intertwining of socialist-era planning with neoliberal economic frameworks after the collapse of socialism as a political project. By offering insights into how distinct historical and ideological forces overlap in shaping contemporary urbanisation throughout the region, this article contributes both to the literature on urban transformations in sub-Saharan Africa and to debates on the intertwined temporalities of socialism and neoliberalism in the region.