Emergence in the African urban context provides unique opportunities to study novel ways of designing within a transdisciplinary set up, yet little has been written in this regard. In this paper, I reflect on how I have engaged in transdisciplinary research as a designer in Africa's urban contexts over the recent years. These reflections offer African perspectives that are enriched by ongoing global conversations around complex urban challenges. Going forward, design research in Africa's emerging urban contexts is well placed to contribute substantially to global discussions on transdisciplinarity.