Harare vs Pretoria

Harare and Pretoria are level on the CIRA Index at 68. Harare grades better on 6 measures, Pretoria on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Harare 68, Pretoria 68
• OECD: Harare 61, Pretoria 66
• UN Tourism: Harare 61, Pretoria 61
• UNDRR: Harare 51, Pretoria 64

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Harare 75, Pretoria 67
• Economy and jobs: Harare 50, Pretoria 42
• Climate and hazards: Harare 75, Pretoria 70
• Water and environment: Harare 56, Pretoria 63
• Community and housing: Harare 100, Pretoria 100
• Access and continuity: Harare 42, Pretoria 54

Where Harare is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 20.3 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) First Quarter Tourism Performance Report, via The Herald / ATQ News, Q1 2026). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Unemployment rate: 9.3 % of the labour force (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4.
• Country disaster risk: 4.9 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 3.5 and 5: grade 2/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 204.4 kg per resident per year (UN-Habitat, Waste Wise Cities Tool in Harare, Zimbabwe Factsheet, 2021). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Judicial Service Commission / Parliament of Zimbabwe, Tourism Act, 2026). Grade 2/4.

Where Pretoria is stronger

• 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.
• 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.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, 2026). Grade 2/4.
• 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.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Zimbabwe: #101 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• South Africa: #61 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Harare in full · Pretoria in full

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