Pffft.

One of the most comprehensive surveys when it comes to world cities’ quality of living, the main purpose of the annual Mercer report enables “multinational companies and other organisations to compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments”, reports IOL.

Using 39 factors across 10 categories, the report evaluates, among other aspects, the political and social environment, the economic environment, public services and transport, housing, education, recreation and the natural environment:

Mercer’s survey also includes a city infrastructure ranking that assesses each city’s supply of electricity, drinking water, telephone and mail services, and public transportation as well as traffic congestion and the range of international flights available from local airports.

The data in this report is mainly from between September and November 2017:

This year, Mercer also provided a separate ranking on city sanitation, which analyses cities’ waste removal and sewage infrastructure, levels of infectious disease, air pollution, water availability and quality – all important aspects of a city’s attractiveness for both talent and businesses.

Now in its 20th year, the report is also used as a solid reference in what seems to be a never-ending “Which City is Best” contest – and in South Africa, that competition is rife.

Of 231 major metropolises world wide, Durban was placed 89th, ahead of Cape Town and Johannesburg, who ranked 94th and 95th respectively:

eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede said the results showed that the municipality was on the right path.

“Our municipality has achieved this accolade for the 4th consecutive year. We are proud to be acknowledged for our service delivery programmes and we strive to continue to make a positive impact in the lives of our residents,” she said.

Well done, Durbs.

Here’s a look at what Mercer had to say on the Middle East and Africa region:

Dubai (74) continues to rank highest for quality of living across the Middle East, closely followed by Abu Dhabi (77), up two places. Damascus (225), Sana’a (229) and Baghdad (231) are the region’s three lowest-ranked cities for quality of living. Both ranking 65th, Abu Dhabi and Dubai top the regional list for City Sanitation. Only four other cities in this region make the top 100, including Muscat (70), Tel Aviv (87), Manama (93), and Kuwait City (99).

Port Louis (83) is the highest ranking African city for quality of living followed by the Durban (89), Cape Town (94) and Johannesburg (95). N’Djamena (226), Khartoum (227) and Bangui (230) stay the lowest ranked in the region. Persistent political instability, poverty, extreme climates and lack of appropriate infrastructure investments means these cities have the lowest quality of living worldwide.

Victoria (58) ranks highest on the continent for City Sanitation, followed by Durban (73) and Port Louis (80), whereas Brazzaville (225) and Antananarivo (226) fill the bottom places.

Below is a quick look at the top five cities by region:

Insightful? Of course it is – check out the full report here.

[source:iol]