Introducing the Municipal Performance Awards
For the first time in South Africa’s history, the financial health of the nation’s municipalities has taken centre stage on a national platform, not for criticism but for celebration. The South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) in partnership with Ratings Afrika and The Banking Association of South Africa (BASA) has launched the SAPOA | Ratings Afrika Municipal Performance Award in recognition of their contribution to the property industry in the area of municipal sustainability.
The awards were presented during SAPOA’s prestigious Annual Convention held at Sun City on 2 October 2025.
Municipal Performance Awards 2025
About the Collaboration
SAPOA approached Ratings Afrika in 2024 with the idea of launching the SAPOA | Ratings Afrika Municipal Performance Award. This groundbreaking award recognises local governments that balance their books, safeguard public resources, invest in infrastructure and create the conditions for communities and businesses to thrive.
Ratings Afrika is an independent governance ratings agency, and SAPOA and its members are responsible for creating economic growth within the municipalities through the property sector. This collaboration is the perfect opportunity to ignite a spark that can transform the municipal sector in South Africa.
The concept is bedded on the significant importance of the existing Ratings Afrika analytical tool. Ratings Afrika’s Municipal Financial Sustainability Index (MFSI®) has been developed and implemented since 2011. The MFSI® is scoring model that analyse and assess the financial sustainability of a municipality.
Ratings Afrika’s 2024 MFSI® indicates that the vast majority of South Africa’s 115 largest municipalities are in deep financial distress. Collectively they recorded R35,3 billion in operating deficits last year. Liquidity shortfalls increased to R104,9 billion, up a staggering R20 billion from 2023.
Yet in spite of the overall disturbing picture painted by the recent analyses, a handful of municipalities demonstrated that with commitment to sound financial management and good governance, it is possible to maintain high levels of financial sustainability and service delivery.
The launch of the SAPOA | Ratings Afrika Municipal Performance Award, in partnership with BASA, aims to celebrate the municipalities that operate at this standard of excellence, as well as inspire other municipalities to strive towards this goal.
Judging Criteria
Judging for the awards is based on Ratings Afriks’s MFSI® results for the 2024 financial year. The MFSI® is a data-driven scoring model that analyses six financial and governance related components of a municipality, namely:
Operating Performance, Liquidity Management, Debt Governance, Budget Practices, Affordability and Infrastructure Development.
They are ranked according to objectively set benchmarks to determine their index positions.
These serve as a comprehensive benchmark of fiscal health that measures a municipality’s ability to generate operating surpluses to fund services, maintain sufficient cash reserves to absorb shocks, practice prudent borrowing and repayment, apply disciplined and forward-looking budgeting, keep rates and tariffs affordable and invest consistently in infrastructure to strengthen resilience and sustain long-term service delivery.
Award Categories
The Municipal Performance Award was presented in two categories, namely, “The Best Performing Municipality in the Province” and “Overall Winners”.
Best Performing Municipality in the Province
Ratings Afrika and SAPOA decided to give the Municipal Performance Award to the best performing municipality in each province.
The award is more than industry recognition; it is a rallying point for reform. By showcasing best-performing municipalities on a national stage, we hope that it will foster healthy competition, inspire better governance and highlight the economic benefits of fiscal sustainability. Even though some municipalities are struggling, the award was given to encourage municipalities in all provinces to strengthen their financial sustainability, improve services and infrastructure development.
The Municipal Performance Awards: Best Performing Municipality in the Province
Eastern Cape – Kouga Municipality
Free State – Metsimaholo Municipality
Gauteng – Midvaal Municipality
KwaZulu-Natal – KwaDukuza Municipality
Limpopo – Greater Tzaneen Municipality
Mpumalanga – City of Mbombela
Northern Cape – Dawid Kruiper Municipality
North-West Province – JB Marks Municipality
Western Cape – Saldanha Bay Municipality and Swartland Municipality (joint winners)
*Listed alphabetically according to province, not score achieved
Showcasing of the Municipal Performance Award was held during the Plenary in the Kings Ballroom at Sun City on 2 October 2025.
The Municipal Performance Award was presented by:
Neil Gopal (CEO, SAPOA)
Leon Claassen (Managing Executive, Ratings Afrika)
Dr Thabang Chiloane (Head of Financial Inclusion and Public Policy, BASA)
Itumeleng Mothibeli (President, SAPOA)
Nozipho Tshabalala (Programme Director, CEO, The Conversation Strategists)
Eastern Cape – Kouga Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Charl du Plessis (Municipal Manager)
Free State – Metsimaholo Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Jack Malindi (Executive Mayor)
Gauteng – Midvaal Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Peter Teixeira (Executive Mayor)
KwaZulu-Natal – KwaDukuza Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Cde Sduduzo Gumede (Executive Mayor)
Shamir Rajcoomar (CFO)
Limpopo – Greater Tzaneen Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Benjamin Mathebula (Director)
Mpumalanga – City of Mbombela
Municipal Performance Award received on behalf of:
Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko (Executive Mayor)
Northern Cape – Dawid Kruiper Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Vernon Mfusi (Senior Manager Policy and Research)
Elias Ntoba (Municipal Manager)
Ruaan Strauss (CFO)
North-West Province – JB Marks Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Gaba Thithiba Ka Qhele (Executive Mayor)
Western Cape – Saldanha Bay Municipality (joint winner)
Municipal Performance Award received by:
André Truter (Executive Mayor)
Heinrich Mettler (Municipal Manager)
Western Cape – Swartland Municipality (joint winner)
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Joggie Scholtz (Municipal Manager)
Harold Cleophas (Executive Mayor)
Best Performing Municipality Overall Winners
For the first time SAPOA, in partnership with Ratings Afrika and the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA), has launched the SAPOA | Ratings Afrika Municipal Performance Award.
The purpose of this collaboration is to honour those municipalities that are managing their finances in such a way that they have the ability to deliver quality services to the residents and businesses within their jurisdiction. It is the first national accolade to distinguish municipalities that demonstrate not just basic compliance but true excellence in governance, fiscal discipline and service delivery.
“A municipality’s financial health directly affects the property sector’s ability to grow. When service delivery is reliable and infrastructure is maintained, property values rise, businesses invest, and communities thrive. We want to hold up the municipalities that get this right as examples for the rest of the country.” ~ Itumeleng Mothibeli, President of SAPOA
These high-scoring municipalities demonstrate consistency over the last five years. They normally have well-entrenched financial policies and their budgets are based on sound long-term financial strategies. They adhere to good budgetary practices, strict financial control and good revenue collection even through tough economic conditions. The sound levels of financial sustainability place these municipalities in a very strong position to invest in infrastructure and it gives them the capacity to absorb financial shocks.
The Municipal Performance Awards: Overall Winners
1st Place
Saldanha Bay Municipality and Swartland Municipality (joint winners)
2nd Place
Swellendam Municipality
3rd Place
Hessequa Municipality
Best Metropolitan Municipality
City of Cape Town
The municipalities that received the Municipal Performance Award for best overall performance are Saldanha Bay and Swartland Municipalities jointly in the first place, each with a score of 74. Swellendam Municipality is in the second place with a score of 73. Hessequa Municipality is in third place with a score of 72.
City of Cape Town is the only metro that is still considered to be highly sustainable financially in 2024 with a score of 70, outperforming the rest of the metros by a large margin. Its achievement is remarkable considering that the average of the metros is only 42 in 2024.
The Best Performing Municipalities received the Municipal Performance Award during the SOPOA’s Annual Convention Dinner & Awards Evening in the Superbowl at Sun City on 2 October 2025.
The Municipal Performance Award was presented by:
Itumeleng Mothibeli (President, SAPOA)
Neil Gopal (CEO, SAPOA)
Leon Claassen (Managing Executive, Ratings Afrika)
Dr Thabang Chiloane (Head of Financial Inclusion and Public Policy, BASA)
1st Place – Saldanha Bay Municipality (joint winner)
Municipal Performance Award received by:
André Truter (Executive Mayor)
Heinrich Mettler (Municipal Manager)
1st Place – Swartland Municipality (joint winner)
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Harold Cleophas (Executive Mayor)
Joggie Scholtz (Municipal Manager)
2nd Place – Swellendam Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Francois du Rand (Mayor)
3rd Place – Hessequa Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Grant Riddles (Executive Mayor)
Albert de Klerk (Municipal Manager)
Best Metropolitan Municipality
Municipal Performance Award received by:
Gerladine Liebenberg (City of Cape Town)
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2025 Municipal Performance Awards.
Ratings Afrika: www.ratingsafrika.com
Contact
Leon Claassen
Managing Executive
Mobile: +27(0) 82 443 4046
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