South Africa's Cape Town ranks as world's second best city

This photo taken on Aug. 13, 2023 shows colorful houses in Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town, South Africa. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, has secured second place in the latest global ranking of the world's best cities to live in for the year.

CAPE TOWN, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, has secured second place in the latest global ranking of the world's best cities to live in for the year.

In a list of the "50 Best Cities for 2024" released on Tuesday by Time Out, a leading global media and hospitality company, Cape Town clocked in at a remarkable No. 2, beaten only by New York, the United States.

That placed it well ahead of other landmark European destinations such as Berlin (No. 3), London (No. 4) and Madrid (No. 5).

According to a statement on Time Out's website, its annual ranking of the most remarkable cities on earth is based on a survey of thousands of urban dwellers around the world in their hometowns.

Conducted in partnership with research firm Potentia Insight, the survey tapped into the perspective of locals, delving into aspects such as the quality and affordability of food, culture and nightlife, as well as the overall happiness and beauty of the city.

"A whopping 100 percent of locals said the city is beautiful and it made them happy, while Cape Town's culture scene was ranked highest in the world for its quality," it said.

This photo taken on Aug. 12, 2023 shows a view of the Cape of Good Hope in Cape Town, South Africa. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

In a statement issued Wednesday on the city government's website, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis welcomed the latest ranking, saying it will only further boost the tourism to the city, which "is now at all-time record levels."

"The city is making the right investments now to ensure that Cape Town is an even better place to visit in the future. That includes a record infrastructure investment pipeline, advanced plans for water and energy security, and growing our policing resources to keep making Cape Town safer," he said. ■