Cape Town: Becoming a Global Digital Nomad Destination of Choice?

Already renowned as a global tourism and investment destination, Cape Town is also becoming one of the best cities in the world for digital nomads. In July 2021 the South African city placed 16th on a list of countries 71 countries identified by global housing rental platform Nestpick as a mecca for globe-trotting remote workers, besting New York, Athens and Barcelona for cost of living, infrastructure, leisure activities and overall livability. It was also ranked 42nd in the world on international travel website Big 7 Travel’s “Best Cities for Remote Working” list, alongside countries like Germany, Argentina and Indonesia, being noted for its digital access, co-working spaces, friendly expat communities and the fact that it offers a Digital Nomad visa. This comes on the back of impressive financials recorded by the Western Cape, the province in which Cape Town is situated. In 2021, the province contributed £33-billion (R648-billion) to South Africa’s GDP of 229-billion (R4.5-trillion) in Quarter 2, with Cape Town traditionally contributing 72% of the provincial GDP annually. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Cape Town has proved to be a beacon of resilience and adaptability, particularly in the property market. By the end of June 2021, its residential property was valued at more than £60.5-billion (R1.229-trillion in South African currency) according to the Cape Town Housing Market Report 2021. The city is now also South Africa’s top-rated region in the office market, property broker surveys by South Africa’s First National Bank indicate, while the digital nomad trend has grown…

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