Time Out’s annual ‘Best Cities in the World’ list has just landed… and Cape Town has taken the number one spot. That’s lekker!
Over 18,500 people from around the world weighed in with their thoughts on their city, including Time Out’s regular readers, for the seventh Time Out global survey of city-dwellers.
The survey’s questions covered everything from food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and overall city vibe… and you know us Capetonians, we’re all about the vibe.
Cape Town’s rise to #1 is no surprise to us, given the fact that locals and visitors alike can hang out with a colony of African penguins, taste world-class wines, stroll Blue Flag beaches, enjoy views from one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature and visit one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, East City, all in one day.
Throw into the mix historic sites and cultural hubs, and you have a city worthy of the title of ‘World’s Best’. Oh, and of course we have the Time Out Market Cape Town, with all the delicious flavours that make Cape Town unique under one roof.
After being pipped by New York in 2024, Cape Town – which is also known as ‘The Mother City’ (should that be ‘The Mother of ALL Cities’ now?) - faced fierce competition from the likes of Bangkok (#2), Melbourne (#4), London (#5), and The Big Apple (#3) once again to take the coveted title in 2025.
Cape Town scored highly across the 44 different criteria used in the survey, with 82% of Capetonians describing their city as beautiful, and 97% of locals saying it makes them happy.
Fellow African cities Marrakech in Morocco (#32) and Lagos in Nigeria (#41) also cracked the nod for the Top 50, while Ghana’s Accra, which came in at #44 in 2024, did not make the list for 2025. No other city from South Africa made it, so we guess we’ll have to continue flying that South African flag high…
So, if you haven’t already, this is your cue to update your bucket list, but before you start exploring, don’t forget to read all about the ‘Best Things To Do in Cape Town Right Now’ and check out the events coming up in our city.
Find out more: Time Out’s ‘Best Cities in the World’ 2025