Few cities across the globe are as highly regarded as Cape Town. Topping lists and ranking highly on an international scale has become something of a norm for the Mother City. While we await the new decade that 2020 will bring, we feel the need to look back on the accomplishments our beautiful city has scooped up over the year and give her her due appreciation.
1. Best ice cream in the world
Cape Town’s very own Unframed Ice Cream parlour ranked in at the number one spot out of 50 ice cream cafés worldwide.
The unique artisan ice cream store ranked in first place for its ability to make healthy ice cream options from scratch in small, sustainable batches.
Locals love Unframed Ice Cream for their one-of-a-kind flavours, including their vegan options which are no less delectable than the rest.
Local favourite Massimo’s was named the best pizzeria in Africa in July by ’50 Top Pizza’, one of the most reliable pizza guides in Italy and the world.
After years of dedicated service and love for pizza, this little gem in Hout Bay finally saw its efforts acknowledged.
The pizzeria took home top honours as the best place to get pizza in Africa.
3. Best fine-dining restaurant in South Africa
In November, one of South Africa’s most iconic and internationally acclaimed fine dining establishments, La Colombe, was named the country’s top restaurant at the 2019 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards.
The stellar dining spot is nothing short of a Capetonain gem and makes locals beam with pride as it continues to achieve top honours year in and out.
4. Best restaurant in the world
A tiny charming restaurant in the fishing village of Paternoster was named the Best Restaurant in the World for 2019 in the internationally-acclaimed World Restaurant Awards in February.
Headed and managed by talented Chef Kobus van der Merwe, Wolfgat is committed to using indigenous ingredients, many of which are foraged from the nearby Atlantic Ocean and surroundings, and has created a unique menu.
Wolfgat is in a 130-year-old fisherman cottage and though unassuming, it offers a fine-dining experience for foodies that is unparalleled.
Cape Town International Airport was named Africa’s Leading Airport at the World Travel Awards Africa and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held in Durban this October.
The Mother City’s airport has brought locals many years of pride for being Africa’s most award winning airport.
6. Best City in Africa and the Middle East
Cape Town proved its place among the best cities in Africa and the Middle East following a Travel + Leisure 2019 survey in July, where readers were asked to choose their favourite cities they most enjoyed visiting.
Some of the most important criteria for survey participants included strong historical and cultural identity, beautiful scenery, a thriving food and shopping scene and lastly, world-class hotels.
Cape Town was listed by most readers as having all of the above and the Mother City was voted the number one city in Africa and the Middle East for the 18th time in a row.
7. One of the best party cities in the world
Cape Town has been recognised as one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations for quite some time now, and as we have this accolade it is only natural that there be a dedicated nightlife scene to keep tourists entertained.
A report by CNN Travel in September named Cape Town as one of the world’s top party cities, which also took into account how unique a city’s nightlife is.
There can be no denying that Capetonians know how to party.
8. One of the world’s sexiest cities
If you are looking for a city that is known for romance, passion and seductive accents, Cape Town may be one of the cities you’d want to visit.
A list compiled by Big 7 Travel in October ranked the world’s sexiest cities, with Cape Town coming in at 5th place.
Considered statistics include cities having the most sex, most sexually-related searches online, the best activities for singles, number of romantic restaurants and date spots.
The list described Cape Town as a sensual place and we couldn’t agree more.
9. Cape dog caretaker wins international award
The Mother City wouldn’t be much without its people and Cape locals are definitely a stellar bunch.
Cape Town resident Shaygam Newman won the renowned international Brian Davies Award, hosted annually by Network for Animals (NFA) in November.
The award, given to heroes who take care of animals in difficult situations or dangerous environments, honours people who often risk their own safety and selflessly give their own resources, but get no recognition otherwise.
After growing up in an abusive home, Newman’s only friendship and comfort was from street dogs. He decided to do something in return, and so started his informal caretaking station in the impoverished community of Hangberg near Hout Bay.
It’s people like Newman that make us beam with pride.
10. One of the best beer cities in the world
The Cape Town beer scene is well known throughout the world. So much so that CNN Travel has placed the Mother City on the list of best beer cities around the world.
Thanks to the craft beer revolution, Cape Town has seen a host of microbreweries all offering their unique take on the versatile alcoholic beverage. There are a multitude of popular spots to get your beer on in Cape Town.
So the next time you’re looking for a brew with your bro, you know where to go.
11. Best municipality in South Africa
Many have opined that Cape Town is the greatest city in South Africa – there are beautiful beaches, diverse residents and of course, the breathtaking Table Mountain. A barometer in October that focuses on the citizen satisfaction in the country’s major municipalities found that Capetonians are the most satisfied with their municipality.
The barometer, conducted by Consulta and SA-csi, focused on the main metros of Cape Town, Buffalo City, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Mangaung and Nelson Mandela Bay.
Although Cape Town’s satisfaction levels have dropped by 3.3 index points since last year’s barometer was conducted, it still remains the top municipality in the country. All other municipalities listed, however, all dropped in points, but Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane remain on par with the industry despite this.
12. Best quality of life in South Africa
In May, Cape Town outranked cities such as Rome, London and Paris for offering a better quality of life. According to data released by Deutsche Bank. The beautiful coasts, Table Mountain and interesting nightlife are enough to capture the heart of any international visitor.
The Deutsche Bank survey has placed Cape Town in mid-list, as it struggles to compete with the quality of life in certain cities in countries such as Australia and Europe.
Zurich is best in the world for its high quality of life, with its beautiful landscapes and strong economy. Wellington in New Zealand came in second, followed by the Danish city of Copenhagen.
Edinburgh in Scotland and the Austrian city of Vienna round out the top five in the world.
So the next time you’re looking for a brew with your bro, you know where to go.
11. Best municipality in South Africa
A city’s quality of life is determined by its safety, purchasing power, quality of healthcare, property price to income ratio, traffic commute time, climate and pollution.
While Cape Town has accomplished a great deal in 2019, with the accomplishments mentioned here being just a few, it is only the beginning for the charming seaside city and we’re proud to be ending our year in the Mother City and starting a new decade right where we left off too.
Although Cape Town’s satisfaction levels have dropped by 3.3 index points since last year’s barometer was conducted, it still remains the top municipality in the country. All other municipalities listed dropped in points, but Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane remain on par with the industry despite this.
12. Best quality of life in South Africa
In May, Cape Town outranked cities such as Rome, London and Paris for offering a better quality of life, according to data released by Deutsche Bank. The beautiful coasts, Table Mountain and interesting nightlife are enough to capture the heart of any international visitor.
The Deutsche Bank survey has placed Cape Town in mid-list, as it struggles to compete with the quality of life in certain cities in countries such as Australia and Europe.
Zurich is best in the world for its high quality of life, with its beautiful landscapes and strong economy. Wellington in New Zealand came in second, followed by the Danish city of Copenhagen.
Edinburgh in Scotland and the Austrian city of Vienna round out the top five in the world.
A city’s quality of life is determined by its safety, purchasing power, quality of healthcare, property price to income ratio, traffic commute time, climate and pollution.
While Cape Town has accomplished a great deal in 2019, with the accomplishments mentioned here being just a few, it is only the beginning for the charming seaside city and we’re proud to be ending our year in the Mother City and starting a new decade right where we left off too.
Picture: Pixabay