The City Bowl is a part of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a natural amphitheatre-shaped area bordered by Table Bay and defined by the mountains of Signal Hill, Lion's Head, Table Mountain and Devil's Peak. File Picture: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers
In a resounding victory for governance excellence, Cape Town has emerged as the undisputed leader in Good Governance Africa's latest Governance Performance Index (GPI) for 2024.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis hailed the city's achievement, praising its exemplary performance across critical governance indicators and reaffirming its commitment to driving economic prosperity and enhancing service delivery for all residents.
The GPI 2024, which assesses South Africa's cities, local, and district municipalities based on five key governance indicators, bestowed Cape Town with the prestigious top ranking among the country's metros.
Notably, Cape Town stands as the sole metro to achieve a minimum score of four out of five for every measure, solidifying its reputation as a paragon of good governance.
Along with the Cape Town Metro, Western Cape local municipalities dominate the upper percentiles of municipal performance in South Africa. The province hosted 13 of the top 20 highest ranked municipalities in 2021 and 15 in 2024.
According to the 2024 GPI, Swartland Local Municipality is the best performing municipality in the country in the small towns segment with Drakenstein and Saldanha Bay Local Municipalities coming in at second and third place respectively.
Mayor Hill-Lewis expressed his delight at Cape Town's stellar performance in the index, citing it as a testament to the city's dedication to fostering a conducive environment for economic growth and prosperity.
"Good governance is the bedrock of a vibrant economy and improved service delivery, particularly for the most vulnerable members of our community," remarked Mayor Hill-Lewis.
"Cape Town's top ranking in the GPI underscores our unwavering commitment to uplifting residents out of poverty and into gainful employment."
The index evaluates municipalities across five categories, including Administration and Governance, Economic Development, Leadership and Management, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Service Delivery – with the latter being the most weighted category.
Among the key highlights of Cape Town's performance in the GPI 2024 is its top-ranking position for service delivery, a critical aspect of municipal governance.
Cape Town's top ranking in the GPI index is not an isolated accolade but is consistent with findings from other reputable reports. The city's accolades include being recognised as South Africa's most sustainable city, achieving clean audits from the Auditor General, and receiving strong credit ratings from rating agencies such as Moody's.