Cape Town has made it again! The city has been recognized as the Best City in the World by readers of The Telegraph in its 2025 Telegraph Travel Awards. Over, 20, 000 UK travelers have cast their votes and positioned Cape Town on top once again.
This for the seventh time that the city has claimed this coveted title and for the second time it has been crowned as the world’s best city.
Earlier this year, Time Out magazine named Cape Town as #1 City in the World. The Mother City also topped the annual list of the publication of the Best Cities in the World, with 82% of Capetonians describing the city as beautiful and 97% of locals said that it makes them happy.
Considering Cape Town as the Best City in the World, The Telegraph quotes – In the past 11 years, Telegraph readers have been asked the question “What is your favorite city on the planet?” seven times. And seven times, you have replied: “Cape Town”.
In truth, this unswerving consistency is easy to unpick. Few places can match South Africa’s most feted metropolis for photogenic power: the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront fringing the Atlantic, Table Mountain rearing as an epic backdrop, the land ebbing down to the beaches of Camps Bay and the flicked tail of the Cape of Good Hope.
As Cape Town has been placed on first, Seville has been placed as second and Sydney on third. For The Telegraph, it was easy to see why Cape Town keeps topping the list.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth and Tourism – Alderman James Vos said that this kind of recognition doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of serious graft, smart thinking, and a whole lot of local passion.
Vos added that from the neighborhood entrepreneurs to the people welcoming visitors with a smile, Cape Town’s tourism scene is powered by its people. Behind the scenes, the focused destination marketing and management efforts, led in partnership with Cape Town Tourism, ensures that the city’s unique experiences are promoted to the world in a way that drives demand and delivers benefits for locals.
Being named as the best city in the world by The Telegraph readers is proof that the strategy is working, and they’re going to keep raising the bar, because the world is watching, said James Vos.
Briony Brookes, CMO of Cape Town Tourism – Briony Brookes said that this back-to-back recognition is something to celebrate. “Being named as the world’s best city again isn’t just about bragging rights… okay, maybe just a little,” says Brookes.
For all more than anything, it’s a celebration of what makes this place unforgettable: the people, the energy, the views, and the stories that connect us with visitors from around the world. Cape Town continues to outshine global destinations year after year, and locals have every reason to be proud of how the city mixes bold creativity, stunning nature, and a culture that is full of heart.
Two global Best City titles in less than six months? Not too shabby. Cape Town is having more than a moment; it’s having a movement.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis also shared this great achievement on his official social media handle and exclaimed, “Great news as we build a Mother City that’s safer, cleaner and the JOBS capital of Africa!”
However, it’s easy to see why travelers fall for Cape Town, but for those who live here, love runs even deeper. It’s not just a destination, it’s a daily love letter to bold creativity, wild nature, and deep-rooted culture.