The City of Cape Town has been named Time Out’s Best City in the World for 2025, climbing one place since last year’s second ranking.
In an announcement on Wednesday morning, Time Out said Cape Town scored highly across the board with the Mother City offering visitors countless opportunities to discover
- beauty,
- overall happiness,
- top-notch food scene with r incredible food,
- culture and nightlife,
- impeccable green spaces and access to nature.
More than 18 500 people around the world shared their thoughts on their city, including Time Out’s regular readers. A panel of more than 100 city experts, drawn from Time Out’s global network, was also asked to name the most exciting cities in the world right now. Time Out then combined all the data – a total of 44 different criteria – to rank the best cities in the world for 2025.
- Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the City is delighted with Cape Town’s first place on the prestigious Time Out ‘Best Cities in the World’ list for 2025.
‘While Cape Town often features at the top of global travel destination lists, this recognition is particularly meaningful as it is largely based on the responses from residents of the city themselves. In addition to all the things that make Cape Town a must-visit tourism destination – our unmatched natural beauty, blue flag beaches, wonderful cuisine, nightlife and cultural diversity – it is the overall happiness of residents that perhaps means the most in this extensive survey. All our work is aimed at making Cape Town the best city in the world to live in – where people are able to build lives of value and where they have a real sense of ownership of their city – and we could not be prouder that this came across so strongly in the responses of our residents,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
‘This recognition speaks volumes about the incredible spirit of Cape Town. At the heart of it all are our communities sharing cuisine and cultures. This is a shared achievement, and we’re excited to continue attracting visitors from around the country, continent, and the rest of the world. The 2023 Gross Value Add of the industry for Cape Town was more than R27 billion in addition to supporting over 91 000 jobs. This acknowledgement from Time Out and their readers is sure to be a further boost to our wonderful local tourism industry, further fuelling Cape Town’s economic growth. Cape Town isn’t just the best city to visit – it’s the best city to be a part of,’ said Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.
‘To be recognised as Time Out’s Best City in the World is a huge high five to the Capetonians who work so hard to create a city which can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Cape Town provides not only an amazing playground for those looking for the best food, best sights, and best adventures, but it is also a place that people are happy to call home. If you’ve never been to Cape Town, do it! You won’t be disappointed,’ said Andrew Hallett, Time Out South Africa’s Content Director and resident Capetonian.
‘Our annual list of Time Out’s Best Cities in the World right now proves that if you want to know what makes a city truly great, ask a local. Thousands of city-dwellers worldwide responded to our survey this year, sharing their opinion on everything from nightlife and food to public transport, green spaces and friendliness. Their collective insights, coupled with the opinions and expertise of Time Out experts around the globe, allow us to create a definitive ranking of the best cities in the world right now.
‘From affordability to access to nature, liveability was a key factor in our survey this year. This list not only showcases the world’s most exciting cities to visit in 2025, where world-class culture, great food and exciting nightlife can be found on every corner, but also reflects the places where locals feel most at home,’ said Grace Beard, Travel Editor at Time Out.
Find the full list of 50 Best Cities in the World HERE. Runners Up: 2. Bangkok 3. New York 4. Melbourne 5. London.
CONGRATULATIONS CAPE TOWN!
WHAT: Time Out’s Best City in the World
WHERE: Cape Town
WHEN: 2025
INFO: 50 Best Cities in the World HERE | See also Cape Town Green Map
