Windhoek eighth among Africa’s top cities, 411th globally

Windhoek has been ranked among Africa’s top-performing cities, placing eighth on the continent and 411th globally.

This is revealed in the 2026 Oxford Economics Global Cities Index.

The ranking assessed 1 000 cities worldwide across five key areas: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance.

City of Windhoek in a statement issued on Monday says Windhoek’s strongest performance was recorded in the environment category, where it achieved a score of 84. The city recorded 63.4 in the governance category.

“This reflected its commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible urban development. The ranking reinforces Windhoek’s position as one of Africa’s leading urban centres and highlights environmental sustainability as one of the city’s key competitive advantages,” the statement reads.

The city says Windhoek’s environmental performance compares favourably with several major African cities included in the assessment.