Awards & Accolades

In Cape Town

Cape Town continues to shine on the global stage, earning numerous awards and accolades that highlight its unique charm, natural beauty, and vibrant culture.

From being named one of the world’s top travel destinations to winning accolades for its sustainable tourism efforts, Cape Town stands out for its commitment to excellence. Explore the awards that recognize the city’s stunning landscapes, world-class cuisine, and rich heritage, and see why Cape Town is celebrated as a must-visit destination year after year.

  • Home to the Best Airport in Africa – Cape Town International, voted annually from 2015 – 2021 at the Skytrax World Airport Awards
  • Voted as the Best City in the World by readers of the UK’s Telegraph newspaper for the seventh consecutive year in 2019
  • Named the ‘World’s Leading Festival and Events Destination’ at the 2018 & 2020 World Travel Awards
  • Ranked among the Top 15 cities in the world for its sense of Place in Resonance Consultancy’s 2019 List of the World’s Best Cities
  • Recognised as o‌ne of the Best Places in the World for food-lovers looking to experience rustic seafood and high-end restaurants by National Geographic Traveller UK
  • Named Africa’s Leading Festivals and Events Destination at the 2018 & 2020 World Travel Awards for Africa & Indian Ocean
  • Voted the ‘City with the greatest potential for growth’ at the inaugural World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) Awards in 2018
  • Voted 1 of the Top 10 Cities in the World for Travellers by Lonely Planet in 2017
  • Ranked among the world’s Top Tech Cities, 2017 and 2018 Savills Tech Cities Report
  • Ranked among the world’s Top Cities for FDI Strategy, 21st in the Global Cities of the Future Winners 2016/17 – FDI Intelligence, division of the Financial Times
  • Best Overseas City for Restaurants & Bars, as well as the second best overseas city in the World, Conde Naste Readers’ Travel Awards 2016
  • Number 1 Food City in the World, Condé Nast’s Reader’s Choice Awards 2016
  • Luxury City Destination of the Year, Luxury Travel Guide Africa & Middle East Awards 2016
  • Home to the International Garden of the Year, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (voted by the Garden Tourism Network in 2015)
  • Voted 1 of the Top 10 Best Beach Cities in the World by National Geographic in 2015
  • Featured in CNN’s Top 10 Cities List for 2015
  • Listed as 1 of the Most Eco-Friendly Cities in the World by BBC Travel in 2014
  • Ranked as one of the ’25 Ultimate Fun Cities in the World by GetYourGuide & GoEuro survey in 2014
  • Voted the World Design Capital 2014
  • Claimed the top spot on the prestigious New York Times’ list of 52 Places to visit in 2014, ahead of destinations such as Los Angeles, the Vatican and the Seychelles.
  • Acknowledged by Britain’s The Guardian as the top holiday destination in 2014
  • One of the Top 25 Cities in the World in Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards for 2013
  • One of the top African cities in the category Top 10 Cities in Africa and the Middle East Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for 2013
  • Fittest city in South Africa, Discovery Health’s Vitality wellness programme in 2013
  • Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination, World Travel Awards 2013
  • Best International Destination of the year 2013 and the Best Luxury Travel Destination 2013, Voyage and MICE China Magazine

Other accolades include being crowned the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Global Earth Hour City Capital in 2014 and being nominated for the 2014 Ultimate Sports City Award alongside cities like Berlin, Melbourne, Singapore and Sydney.

Visit

Cape Town offers an incredible variety of places to visit and things to do. From Blue Flag beaches to award-winning wine and everything in between. This beautiful city is nestled at the foothills of one of the New7Wonders of Nature, Table Mountain.

Study

Cape Town is Africa’s most desirable city for students. Now that you can study virtually from anywhere, why not do it from Cape Town with some of the most picturesque college campuses in South Africa.

Work

Cape Town is among the world’s top cities for remote working. The Mother City ranked 16th out of 75 cities in a recent study by global housing rental platform Nestpick. The index score was based on factors including cost of living, infrastructure, leisure activities, and overall liveability.

Live

Cape Town is a dynamic African city that offers many of the Frills of European living while still giving that truly African feeling, this city has a little something for everyone.

Invest

The world is moving to emerging markets, looking to grow into the future, and Cape Town is at the forefront of this movement. A stable and growing economy, the province was named the 8th strongest economy in the entire continent in 2016.

Play

Cape Town is an adventure seeker’s paradise. You could stay for weeks and still not tick off all the activities on offer. From paragliding to kayaking, kitesurfing and sand boarding, Cape town offers all the high speed thrills.