This study highlights the limitations of generic urban assessment frameworks in evaluating the sustainability of African cities and the Global South. It argues for the development of context-specific indicators that accurately reflect the unique socio-economic, cultural, spatial, and historical realities of these cities. While global frameworks offer useful benchmarks, their standardised methodologies often overlook the structural characteristics that define African cities, namely, informality, spatial and economic inequalities, governance constraints, and colonial urban legacies. To investigate why African cities frequently underperform when assessed using global urban sustainability indicators, we conducted a systematic literature review following the PRISMA framework. Our findings underscore the need to rethink assessment frameworks by expanding sustainability dimensions. We propose integrating underexplored yet critical sustainability dimensions and a novel ACTPL design conceptual framework to guide locally grounded sustainability metrics. This framework offers practical guidance for all urban stakeholders seeking to advance more inclusive and adaptive sustainable urban development strategies across the continent.