Property

The small town crowned the best in South Africa

Kirsten Minnaar • 24 January 2026

Barrydale in the Western Cape has been crowned South Africa’s best small town, cementing it as one of the best places to live in the country.

In December 2025, the Daily Maverick named Barrydale as its Small Town of the Year after the area received an impressive score of 94%.

Barrydale is a village located on the border between the Overberg and Klein Karoo regions of the Western Cape.

Named after Joseph Barry, a 19th-century merchant, it is situated at the northern end of the Tradouw Pass, which winds its way through the mountains to Swellendam.

Barrydale’s history dates back to the early 18th century, when farmers moved into the area in search of fertile arable land with water. The community built their church on a spot where the R62 and R324 roads meet.

In the days before the church was built, there were a number of ‘nagmaal’ houses (places where Holy Communion could be celebrated) and a school, but not much else.

The Dutch Reformed Community of Barrydale came into being in 1878, when land was purchased for the church.

As the farmers in the area were encouraged to plant vineyards and orchards, it was natural that a winery and distillery would eventually be built.

In 1940, the Barrydale Koöperatiewe Wynkelder was formed, and a distillery was established, giving rise to the area’s wine industry. Joseph Barry Brandy, produced locally, was voted best brandy in the world in 2003.

Over the years, the village grew, and in 1921, a municipality was established. Today, the population is estimated at roughly 4,200 permanent residents.

The town’s population increases dramatically during the tourist season, with visitors drawn by markets and local arts & crafts, including textiles, jewellery, and African souvenirs.

Now, it has received official recognition as the best small town to live in South Africa, beating out top contenders across the country.

Barrydale reigns supreme

The Small Town of the Year competition started with a nomination process, with 2,069 Daily Maverick readers submitting their pick for the best small town in South Africa.

This was followed by nine writers – one for each province – researching the towns and narrowing them down from the top five to the highest-scoring one.

The towns were evaluated based on seven categories – cleanliness, municipality, community, safety, nature, family, and connectivity.

However, the publication made it clear that the “M-Factor” or “Maverick Gees” (spirit), which they describe as “that unique energy defining a town’s soul”, was a key deciding factor.

The final part of the selection process involved the writers visiting the top provincial towns themselves to assign final scores.

They compared their notes on each town with those of the other writers, and ultimately, Barrydale was crowned the best small town to live in. The table below lists the rest of Daily Maverick’s finalist towns.

Ranking	Town	Province	Score
1	Barrydale	Western Cape	94%
2	White River	Mpumalanga	93%
3	Jeffreys Bay	Eastern Cape	90.3%
4	Cullinan	Gauteng	89.3%
5	Clarens	Free State	88%
6	Bloemhof	North West	84.6%
7	Howick	KwaZulu-Natal	84.5%
8	Hoedspruit	Limpopo	70%

Barrydale’s property market shines

Seeff Country and Karoo sales manager Jaco Badenhorst said 2025 saw a significant surge in property transactions across several sought-after country towns, including Barrydale.

“Agents have reported a sharp increase in sales driven by buyers looking to relocate due to healthy local economies and low crime rates,” Badenhorst said.

“The limited stock for sale has made the market highly competitive. Well-priced properties are attracting multiple offers and selling quickly, often within days of being listed.”

Towns such as Barrydale have active agriculture, tourism, and small business sectors, which appeal to new residents.

“An influx of workers and professionals has boosted demand for rental homes in and around Swellendam and Bredasdorp,” he said.

Badenhorst explained that as of mid-2025, many landlords were reporting full occupancy, and rental prices are beginning to reflect the increasing demand.

Val Anderton and Marinda Roux, agents with Seeff Swellendam, explained that they have seen an increase in enquiries from Gauteng and Pretoria.

Many of these are young families looking to relocate due to the excellent schools and a wholesome environment for raising children.

While the average price is in the R2.4 million to R3.4 million range, they said they were seeing interest in higher-priced properties, with rentals also being in high demand.

“The Barrydale area is very active in the R2.5 million range, with buyers coming from all over, especially the Cape, some downscaling or retiring, and others working remotely”, said Seeff agent Beate Joubert.

According to Joubert, large Barrydale homes suitable for conversion to guest houses are also in demand.