Drakenstein Municipality has won gold for the second consecutive year at the 2026 Western Cape Government Service Excellence Awards, held at Nederburg Wine Estate in Paarl on Friday, 16 October 2026.

Competing in the category for metros and large municipalities, Drakenstein secured top honours ahead of the City of Cape Town, which received silver, and Mossel Bay Municipality, which received bronze.

The award follows recognition earlier this month when the municipality received an award for recording the most significant improvement in financial sustainability among South Africa’s municipalities at the annual Municipal Performance Awards, presented by the South African Property Owners Association and the independent governance ratings agency, Ratings Afrika.

Drakenstein Municipality is the highest-ranked secondary city on Ratings Afrika’s Municipal Financial Sustainability Index. There are 39 secondary cities in South Africa.

Good Governance Africa, a research and advocacy non-profit organisation, ranks Drakenstein Municipality as South Africa’s leading secondary city for leadership, management and good governance in its latest Governance Performance Index.

In the latest Growth Potential Index by the Western Cape Government, Drakenstein Municipality emerges as a leading growth potential municipality in the province, recording strong performance across economic, human capital, infrastructure and institutional indices. According to the provincial government, the municipality’s diverse economy, strategic location, strong governance systems and significant industrial and logistics functions position it as one of the province’s most important growth engine areas.

Drakenstein’s unemployment rate of 17,5% remains significantly lower than many municipalities across South Africa. The municipality reportedly records an average taxable income of R345 282 per year for registered taxpayers, ranking it as one of the highest-earning municipalities in the Western Cape.

The municipality has received 11 clean audits since 2011, demonstrating a commitment to accountability, transparency and responsible financial management.

Drakenstein Municipality has achieved a capital expenditure rate of 99,1% for the 2025/26 financial year, while the national norm is between 90% and 95%. This means the municipality converted almost every rand earmarked for infrastructure, equipment and community development into tangible community assets, infrastructure investment and service delivery improvements.

Through the installation of uninterrupted power supply systems at all 52 signalised intersections in Drakenstein, traffic signals continue operating during power interruptions.

The municipality has emerged as one of the most attractive destinations for investment and homeownership in the Western Cape. Property values across Drakenstein increased by an average of between 50% and 60% over the past valuation cycle.

As the first municipality in South Africa to introduce property rates-capping, Drakenstein Municipality limited residential property rates increases to a maximum of 12,5% in 2025.

Drakenstein Municipality provides one of the most comprehensive indigent support packages at approximately R1 700 per month to qualifying households.

Personnel expenditure accounts for just 26% of the municipality’s operating budget, among the lowest ratios nationally.

Dr Johan Leibbrandt, city manager of Drakenstein Municipality, said the municipality remains focused on building on its successes. “Our vision is to continue growing a city of excellence. We will keep investing in infrastructure, strengthening governance, creating an enabling environment for economic growth and ensuring that residents receive services they can depend on.”

Drakenstein Municipality is located an hour’s drive from Cape Town and is home to 311 601 residents, including the historic Winelands towns of Paarl and Wellington.