South Africa has secured two spots in the top six of a major continental ranking. Cape Town and Johannesburg have both been placed within the elite bracket of the Jeune Afrique 2025 ranking of Africa’s 30 most attractive cities. The report, released on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, shows Cape Town in fourth place and Johannesburg in sixth. This comes as Egypt’s Cairo seized the top spot in a dramatic reshuffling of urban power.
The ranking is based on a major survey of 7,877 African city residents conducted with Sagaci Research, combined with analysis of foreign direct investment from 2020 to 2023. Selene Brophy, City Editor for Time Out Cape Town, noted the forces behind the new leader, writing that Cairo’s leap from eighth place was due to,
“large-scale investment, ‘particularly from the Gulf and China, along with significant urban transformation projects, including its New Administrative Capital’.”
Mzansi’s Mixed Report Card
The performance of South Africa’s leading cities presents a story of contrasts. Cape Town, last year’s number one, dropped to fourth but remains the nation’s highest-ranked city. The Mother City is highlighted for its infrastructure and quality of life. Simultaneously, it is pushing major new developments, including a R20-billion (approx. US$1.07-billion) Granger Bay waterfront project.
Johannesburg, however, presents a split result. The report notes that while it ranks above average for attracting foreign investment, it scores lowest for quality of life among the top ten cities. This points to the ongoing challenges residents face despite the city’s economic clout. The report confirms Morocco matches South Africa’s feat, also placing four cities in the top thirty.
The Continental Power Shift
The 2025 list reveals significant changes across Africa. Nairobi’s rise to third place is termed the “most notable rise on the podium.” A report on the Kenyan capital stated its success is,
“supported by its ambition to position itself as a continental tech hub, as well as its major infrastructure and mobility projects and its attractiveness to investors.”
Kigali held firm in second place, continually praised as a model of cleanliness and governance. Julien Wagner, the journalist in charge of the ranking, framed the study’s importance, stating,
“This ranking comes at a time when Africa is experiencing unprecedented urbanization… African metropolises must invent new financing models, strengthen their governance capacities, and adapt.”
The entrance of cities like Tangier and Mombasa into the top tiers signals the rising power of ports and secondary cities, reshaping the traditional map of African urban appeal.