Drakenstein Municipality has been named the best municipality in the Western Cape, walking away with the Gold Award at the Western Cape Government Service Excellence Awards this past Friday.
The awards ceremony was held at the GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World in Cape Town.
Swartland Municipality took second place (silver) and Mossel Bay third (bronze).
The awards ceremony, hosted annually by the Western Cape Government, acknowledges municipalities that demonstrate outstanding governance, innovation and responsiveness to community needs.
This latest accolade adds to Drakenstein’s growing list of achievements. In 2024, Good Governance Africa rated Drakenstein as the country’s top secondary city for good governance in its annual Governance Performance Index.
The municipality was recently also recognised on the global stage when it received the 2025 Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Award in June.
READ: Drakenstein receives prestigious accolade for its commitment to sustainability
The award honoured the municipality for its innovative approach to energy efficiency, green infrastructure and smart city initiatives.
The municipality has also secured 17 consecutive unqualified audits since 2011, 10 of which were clean audits.
Executive Mayor Stephen Korabie said the award reflects the dedication of both municipal staff and the community they serve.
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our municipal teams, our industry partners and, importantly, the residents and business sector of Drakenstein,” he said.
City Manager Dr Johan Leibbrandt echoed the sentiment, praising the collaborative effort behind the municipality’s success.
“From frontline service teams to strategic planners, every person plays a role in building a better Drakenstein,” he said.
