Cape Town vs Yaoundé

Cape Town and Yaoundé are level on the CIRA Index at 57. Cape Town grades better on 8 measures, Yaoundé on 8; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Cape Town 57, Yaoundé 57
• OECD: Cape Town 56, Yaoundé 55
• UN Tourism: Cape Town 39, Yaoundé 64
• UNDRR: Cape Town 57, Yaoundé 47

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Cape Town 75, Yaoundé 56
• Economy and jobs: Cape Town 13, Yaoundé 50
• Climate and hazards: Cape Town 60, Yaoundé 45
• Water and environment: Cape Town 13, Yaoundé 75
• Community and housing: Cape Town 67, Yaoundé 88
• Access and continuity: Cape Town 71, Yaoundé 38

Where Cape Town is stronger

• Average length of stay: 7 nights per visitor (Cape Town Tourism, Destination Intelligence / Economic Value of Tourism Report, 2025). At or above 3.5: 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.
• Income per head: 15,906 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Between 15,000 and 30,000: grade 1/4.
• Tropical nights: 2 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 10: grade 4/4.
• Country disaster risk: 5.2 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 5 and 6.5: grade 1/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre, 2025–2026). 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.
• Government effectiveness: 45.8 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 40 and 60: grade 2/4.

Where Yaoundé is stronger

• Recovery against 2019: 139.2 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (Ministère des Finances du Cameroun (Direction Générale du Budget) & World Bank / UN Tourism, 2023). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 11.7 % of the labour force (Institut National de la Statistique du Cameroun (INS), Troisième Recensement Général des Entreprises (RGE3) / EESI3, 2021). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Water scarcity: 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) (WHO / UNICEF JMP & UN-Water, SDG 6 Country Profiles (SDG 6.3.1), 2024). Between 50 and 70: grade 1/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 226.3 kg per resident per year (MDPI Sustainability / Den Planet, 2022). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: 3.5 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (Institut National de la Statistique (INS) Cameroun, Note mensuelle sur l'évolution des prix à la consommation finale des ménages, June 2023–June 2024). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• South Africa: #61 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Cameroon: #108 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Cape Town in full · Yaoundé in full

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