Windhoek one of the best in Africa
Namibia's capital, Windhoek, is ranked as the fourth best city in Africa for overall quality of living, according to the latest Mercer Quality of Living Survey.
This year's survey by human resources consulting firm Mercer, released last week, ranks cities across the globe according to - among other things - the quality of their public infrastructure.
The ranking is based on public transportation, traffic congestion, the range of international flights from local airports, electricity supply, water availability, and telephone and mail services.
The only cities in Africa that outrank Windhoek are in South Africa. At the top is Durban, followed by Cape Town and then Johannesburg.
Windhoek is ranked globally at 130 out of the 231 cities that were rated. Its ranking has increased greatly in the last two years. It was rated at 209 in 2016 and 206 in 2015.
Vienna occupies first place for overall quality of living for the eighth year running, with the rest of the top-ten list mostly filled by other European cities.
In second place is Zurich, with Munich (4), Dusseldorf (6), Frankfurt (7), Geneva (8), Copenhagen (9), and Basel, a newcomer to the list, in tenth position.
The only non-European cities in the top ten are Auckland (3) and Vancouver (5).
“The success of foreign assignments is influenced by issues such as ease of travel and communication, sanitation standards, personal safety, and access to public services,” said Slagin Parakatil, principal at Mercer and responsible for its quality of living research.
“A city's infrastructure, or rather the lack thereof, can considerably affect the quality of living that expatriates and their families experience on a daily basis. Access to a variety of transport options, being connected locally and internationally, and access to electricity and drinkable water are among the essential needs of expatriates arriving in a new location on assignment. A well-developed infrastructure can also be a key competitive advantage for cities and municipalities trying to attract multinational companies, talent, and foreign investments.”
ELLANIE SMIT
This year's survey by human resources consulting firm Mercer, released last week, ranks cities across the globe according to - among other things - the quality of their public infrastructure.
The ranking is based on public transportation, traffic congestion, the range of international flights from local airports, electricity supply, water availability, and telephone and mail services.
The only cities in Africa that outrank Windhoek are in South Africa. At the top is Durban, followed by Cape Town and then Johannesburg.
Windhoek is ranked globally at 130 out of the 231 cities that were rated. Its ranking has increased greatly in the last two years. It was rated at 209 in 2016 and 206 in 2015.
Vienna occupies first place for overall quality of living for the eighth year running, with the rest of the top-ten list mostly filled by other European cities.
In second place is Zurich, with Munich (4), Dusseldorf (6), Frankfurt (7), Geneva (8), Copenhagen (9), and Basel, a newcomer to the list, in tenth position.
The only non-European cities in the top ten are Auckland (3) and Vancouver (5).
“The success of foreign assignments is influenced by issues such as ease of travel and communication, sanitation standards, personal safety, and access to public services,” said Slagin Parakatil, principal at Mercer and responsible for its quality of living research.
“A city's infrastructure, or rather the lack thereof, can considerably affect the quality of living that expatriates and their families experience on a daily basis. Access to a variety of transport options, being connected locally and internationally, and access to electricity and drinkable water are among the essential needs of expatriates arriving in a new location on assignment. A well-developed infrastructure can also be a key competitive advantage for cities and municipalities trying to attract multinational companies, talent, and foreign investments.”
ELLANIE SMIT
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