Cape Town vs Pretoria
Pretoria leads Cape Town by 11 points on the CIRA Index, 68 to 57. Cape Town grades better on 5 measures, Pretoria on 7; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Cape Town 57, Pretoria 68
- OECD: Cape Town 56, Pretoria 66
- UN Tourism: Cape Town 39, Pretoria 61
- UNDRR: Cape Town 57, Pretoria 64
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Cape Town 75, Pretoria 67
- Economy and jobs: Cape Town 13, Pretoria 42
- Climate and hazards: Cape Town 60, Pretoria 70
- Water and environment: Cape Town 13, Pretoria 63
- Community and housing: Cape Town 67, Pretoria 100
- Access and continuity: Cape Town 71, Pretoria 54
Where Cape Town is stronger
- Largest foreign market: 14.7 % of international arrivals or nights (Cape Town Tourism - Economic Value of Tourism Report, 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 61.7 % average annual occupancy (Cape Town Tourism, Economic Value of Tourism 2025 Report, 2025). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4.
- Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (City of Cape Town / PRASA / Transnet Port Authority, 2024–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (Western Cape Government / African Centre for Cities / CPUT, 2021–2024). Grade 4/4.
- Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Tourism Marketing South Africa (TOMSA) / Cape Town Tourism, 2024–2026). Grade 2/4.
Where Pretoria is stronger
- Recovery against 2019: 102.6 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (Statistics South Africa / South African Tourism, Tourism Performance Report (January – December 2025), 2025). Between 100 and 110: grade 3/4.
- Flood hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
- Wastewater safely treated: 52.4 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (UN-Water / WHO / SDG 6 Data Portal via UN SDG Country Profiles, 2024). Between 50 and 70: grade 1/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 398 kg per resident per year (country figure) (Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Draft Sectoral Emissions Targets to 2030 Report, 2022). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
- Green space: 42 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (metro figure) (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
- Rent growth: 2.4 % change in rents over the last 12 months (region figure) (PayProp South Africa, PayProp Rental Index Q2 2025, Q2 2025). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
- Short-let density: 0.2 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (metro figure) (AirDNA & Statistics South Africa via City of Tshwane Voluntary Local Review Baseline Report (2024), 2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- South Africa: #61 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- South Africa: #61 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Cape Town in full · Pretoria in full
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