Daily Maverick has named Barrydale in the Western Cape as South Africa's Small Town of the Year, following reader nominations and evaluations by journalists. The town scored 94% in a competition assessing cleanliness, community spirit, and more. A live discussion on the results is set for today.
Daily Maverick announced Barrydale, a small town in the Western Cape, as the Small Town of the Year after a nationwide competition. The selection began with 2,069 reader nominations for the best small towns to live in across South Africa. Nine writers, one from each province, narrowed down the top five nominees per province to a single winner based on criteria including cleanliness, municipality, community, safety, nature, family, and connectivity. Emphasis was placed on the 'M-Factor' or 'Maverick Gees,' capturing each town's unique spirit.
Each writer visited their provincial winner for firsthand assessment before the group compared notes and crowned Barrydale with a score of 94%. Biénne Huisman described it as 'an oasis in the desert: think jacaranda-lined streets, bougainvillea-draped walls, lavender fields and succulents, etched against a rolling expanse of sky and mountain views.'
White River in Mpumalanga came second with 93%, praised by Zani Barrish for its 'lush vegetation, a vibrant and close-knit community and enviable Lowveld weather.' Third was Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape at 90.3%, where Angela Daniels noted, 'I think part of Jeffreys Bay’s secret is that it doesn’t pretend to be perfect. It just tries to be better.' Other provincial winners included Cullinan (Gauteng, 89.3%), Clarens (Free State, 88%), Bloemhof (North West, 84.6%), Howick (KwaZulu-Natal, 84.5%), Hoedspruit (Limpopo), and Richmond (Northern Cape, 70%).
The judges—Biénne Huisman, Zani Barrish, Angela Daniels, Naledi Mashishi, Zukiswa Pikoli, Takudzwa Pongweni, Greg Ardé, Lucas Ledwaba, and Reid Donson—will discuss the results in a live Daily Maverick Connect event today at 2.30pm. Readers are invited to join and share their views on the winners.
