The five small towns voted the best in South Africa
Over the past five years, Greyton, Kroonstad, Delmas, Heidelberg, and Bloemhof have all achieved a noteworthy victory – being voted the best small town in South Africa.
For 15 years, the Kwêla Town of the Year competition has been showcasing the best small towns South Africa has to offer.
Bloemhof in the North West was recently crowned South Africa’s Town of the Year for 2025, following Gauteng’s Heidelberg, which won in 2024.
In the previous years, this title was won by Delmas (2023) in Mpumalanga, Kroonstad (2022) in the Free State, and Greyton (2021) in the Western Cape.
Any town in South Africa or Namibia can be nominated to win this competition, provided it has fewer than 500,000 inhabitants.
Towns may not enter if they were regional winners in the last two years, or if they won the Town of the Year competition in the past six years.
The competition uses a public voting system to determine nominees and winners. South Africans can nominate as many towns as they want by sending SMS submissions. Towns are then divided into nine regions –
- Gauteng and North West
- Northern Cape
- Eastern Cape
- Western Cape
- Free State
- Limpopo
- Mpumalanga
- KwaZulu-Natal
- Namibia
From each region, the three towns with the most nominations will advance to the semi-final round. The towns are then narrowed down until there is only one per region, totalling nine.
When all nine towns have been featured on Kwêla, the public is able to vote for the winning town. The winner is then given a R1 million cash prize from Lottoland to invest back into the town.
In addition to the winnings, the town receives valuable exposure and marketing, which brings in new tourism and investment.
On top of this, there is typically a strong correlation between a town’s win and its performance on the property market.
For example, Property24 stats show that in 2020, Greyton only sold 48 properties. When it won the competition in 2021, this shot up to 124. For Heidelberg, the 2024 winner, this number shot up from 1,355 to 3,640 in its victory year.
Listed below are the small towns that won Kwêla’s Town of the Year competition from 2021 to 2025, as well as properties for sale within the average price range for each area.
Greyton
In 2021, Greyton, a small town in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, was named Kwêla’s Town of the Year.
The Cape vernacular architecture of Greyton has remained largely intact, lending the village much of its historical charm, the town’s tourism bureau said.
The original leiwater system of street furrows for irrigation is a surviving feature and still in use by residents today.
The town also has quaint shops and restaurants around every corner. These include local eateries, coffee shops, boutique stores, and its famous Saturday morning market that display the best local offerings.
Greyton’s cultural event calendar features wine and beer festivals, as well as art and music festivals that showcase the region’s finest local offerings, all set against the backdrop of beautiful village locations.
Greyton features beautiful natural surroundings, from mountains to rivers, making it an ideal spot for hiking on the trails in and around the nature reserve or taking a splash in secret swimming spots.
Trail running and mountain biking also draw adventure-seekers to Greyton. Year-round activities set in the village’s surrounding mountains on well-maintained trails offer an unforgettable setting for adventure sports and events.
Although Property24 shows that there are only a moderate number of homes sold in the town every year, with only 65 sales so far in 2025, Greyton boasts impressive property values.
So far in 2025, the town’s average asking price is R3.85 million, with an average sale price of R3.4 million. This is much higher than other small towns that have won the Town of the Year title in recent years.
R3.45 million three-bedroom house in Greyton
Kroonstad
Kroonstad is a small town situated in the Northern Free State region of the Free State Province in South Africa, and was voted Town of the Year in 2022.
Located on the banks of the Vals River, Kroonstad lends itself to various water sports activities and is popular among anglers.
Kroonstad is the third-largest town in the province, with approximately 24,000 residents. The town is a convenient stopover for visitors and is situated in an exceptionally wealthy agricultural area.
Kroonstad offers a range of activities, including the Kroonpark, which features pools and waterslides suitable for the whole family to enjoy.
Other activities to do in Kroonstad include –
- Fishing
- Hiking and biking
- Historical buildings
- The Sarel Cilliers Museum
- Water sports
- A lion breeding programme
- Horse riding
Kroonstad also boasts a thriving business community, featuring numerous small shops, stalls, and restaurants.
After seeing a boost in property sales in 2022, with Property24 recording 1,017 sales for the year, the Kroonstad market has slowed, with only 415 sales recorded for 2025.
However, property values have continued to climb. In 2022, the average sale price was R600,000. This has since increased by R100,000, reaching an average of R700,000 in 2025.
R895,000 three-bedroom house in Uitsig, Kroonstad
Delmas
The quaint farming town of Delmas, located in Mpumalanga, just northeast of Springs and southeast of Pretoria, claimed the Town of the Year title in 2023.
The town is known for producing maize, wheat, potatoes, and chickens. AFGRI also runs a chicken abattoir in the town. Also rich in coal, the Delmas Coal and Delmas Stuart coal mines contribute to the province’s economy.
Delmas is a critical railway junction on the Springs to Witbank rail line. This line connects to the Port of Richards Bay.
Property in Delmas varies from vacant land, townhouses, smallholdings, farms, and freehold residential homes to commercial spots.
The upmarket Westridge Estate is equipped with 24-hour security, gate control, electric fences, and recreation spaces. Extensions 4 and 5 in Delmas are known for their stunning houses.
Unfortunately, the Delmas property market has not had a stellar performance in the last few years, despite winning the Town of the Year award.
In 2023, the town recorded 337 sales at an average sale price of R753,560, according to Property24. In 2025, only 272 homes were sold at an average price of R706,000.
Not only is this a notable drop compared to two years ago, but it is also much lower than the average asking price of R1.49 million.
R1.15 million two-bedroom house in Delmas Rural
Heidelberg
Located about 50 kilometres southeast of Johannesburg, Heidelberg in Gauteng won the Town of the Year contest in 2024.
Heidelberg is a small town with deep historical roots and a quiet charm that sets it apart from the province’s busier urban centres.
Founded in the 19th century, Heidelberg played an important role in South Africa’s early development and still showcases much of its architectural heritage through well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian-era buildings.
The town’s central district retains a distinct old-world character, with landmarks such as the Heidelberg Town Hall and the Heidelberg Museum reflecting its colonial past.
Heidelberg offers a calm, semi-rural atmosphere surrounded by rolling hills and open landscapes. Visitors can enjoy scenic walks, birdwatching, or a relaxed round of golf while remaining close to major routes like the N3.
The town also serves as a convenient base for exploring nearby attractions, from nature reserves to Gauteng’s wine route. Local markets and eateries add a touch of everyday community life.
When Heidelberg won the Town of the Year title in 2024, its property sales shot up from 1,355 to 3,640. In 2025, however, only 769 properties have sold so far for an average price of R905,000.
R1.09 million three-bedroom house in Heidelberg Central
Bloemhof
The latest town of the year winner, Bloemhof, is a tranquil North West town on the banks of the Vaal River, roughly 120 km northwest of Johannesburg, and beat eight towns to the award.
Bloemhof was founded in 1864 during a diamond rush on the farm Klipfontein and was named “Bloemhof” (“flower court” or “flower garden”) in recognition of the gardens planted by the farm owner’s daughter.
Today, the town relies on maize and cattle farming and is a popular venue for outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, and water sports.
Despite its new accolade, property data from Lightstone shows that Bloemhof still ranks near the bottom in terms of overall property value and transaction activity compared to other 2025 finalist towns.
Most homes are valued below R500,000, with fewer than 50 sales recorded annually and an average bond value of around R380,000.
While it lacks the wealth and tourism-driven property markets of coastal towns like Wilderness and Pennington, Bloemhof’s growing recognition and affordability could attract future investment.
The title of Town of the Year may signal the start of gradual development, highlighting Bloemhof’s community appeal, rural charm, and potential for long-term growth.
R450,000 five-bedroom house in Bloemhof
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