BrazilThe 10 best cities in Africa to live and work in, Port Louis tops the list
South African cities appear to dominate the list of best cities to live and work in across Africa, according to new research published by international consulting firm Mercer. Port Louis in Mauritius ranks as the best African city, followed by the three South African cities of Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Africa is a colourful canvas of sorts, varying across different regions in terms of political regimes, economic conditions, cultural preferences, and geographical features. While the region is often studied as a whole on the one hand, an increasing volume of research is highlighting the stark contrast that is visible from one country to the next.
Some metrics that are relatively all-encompassing in their reflection of economic conditions are the strength of a country’s passport and the strength of its hospitality industry, both of which reveal the perception of the country in the international community. When examined on these criteria, the results are fairly predictable.
The usual suspects on these lists are often the economically prosperous countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, and other oil-rich North African countries. Such is the case again in the latest study conducted by Mercer of the top cities to live in, which is based on surveys conducted with foreign-national employees and their families about their day-to-day life in a city.
The international study covered cities across the world, wherein Vienna emerged as the best city to live in, followed by Zurich, Auckland, Munich, and Vancouver. A number of African cities also featured on the list from Mercer; a firm that has become increasingly active on the continent, establishing a local base and forming a number of strategic partnerships.
The highest ranked African city on the list was Port Louis in Mauritius, which at 83rd represents a fairly low starting point for Africa in the global rankings. South Africa is home to the next three African cities on the list, namely Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, which are not too far behind Port Louis in the international rankings, placing in 89th, 94th and 95th respectively.
Rounding off the top five is Victoria, the capital city of Seychelles, in 98th position worldwide. The country is among the most popular destinations across the globe, and has the 26th strongest passport, giving it visa-free access to 141 countries. The Tunisian capital of Tunis comes in sixth, ranked in 114th place across the world, aided by the country’s position as the most food secure nation in Africa.
The Northern African country of Morocco accounts for seventh and eighth place on the African list, with Rabat in 117th globally and Casablanca in 124th. The latter is particularly popular due to its position as a nucleus for business for Francophone Africa, with international firms continually building a presence there.
The top ten is rounded off by Windhoek in Namibia (an increasingly popular tourist destination) in 130th across the globe, and the Zambian capital Lusaka in 150th on the international list.
