Cape Town in South Africa: often referred to as the Mother City, boasts a breath of fresh air, thanks to its abundant vistas and natural sites of scenic beauty, spread around the popular destination. But how attractive is the popular destination as a city for international talent, visitors or investors? How does it compare to other cities in Africa and beyond? Let’s explore deeper how leading rankings and indices assess Cape Town in terms of its economic and sustainability performance, its city brand strength and reputation.
Let’s take a closer look at:
- Economic and sustainability performance
- Livability: Its appeal for talent, investors, visitors
- Its city brand strength and reputation
Competitiveness and financial performance
The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Cape Town 91st, a drop of 18 positions from the previous ranking. It is currently sitting right behind Nairobi (90th) and Warsaw (92nd). The city currently holds the 13th place out of 15 centers in the African and Middle Eastern region.
According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Cape Town ranks 282nd, a jump of 52 positions from the previous ranking.
City brand strength and reputation
Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks Cape Town 84th, a drop of four positions from the previous ranking. Moreover, the city ranks 128th in the Global Cities Outlook, a drop of six positions since the previous ranking.
According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, it fares 60th in the global ranking, with a score of 62.9/100.
Cape Town’s appeal for talent, investors, visitors
The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Cape Town 102nd, whereas the Mercer Cost of Living Ranking ranks it 210th, a drop of 16 positions since the previous ranking. The cost living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determine the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.
The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Cape Town 89th overall.
Last updated in January 2024. More city profiles here.
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