South Africa’s capital ranks eleventh place on the index with an innovation score of 63.3 out of 100. The city center has led the way in South Africa in terms of safety, vibrance, and accessibility. The city also ranks highly for its business innovation which is attracting new talent, organizations, and business events to the city.
Cape Town has a high population density, experiencing an intense movement of people, goods and services, as well as witnessing ongoing development. The large urban area also has numerous business districts and industrial areas. With 376,727 new businesses registered in 2019, the professional landscape in South Africa and it’s capital has continued to grow in recent years. With the advancement in job roles and opportunities, this also means the city has a lot to offer those who live there.
With 7 top-rated universities across South Africa averaging a rating of 58 out of 100, the country is producing a well-educated workforce with Cape Town being its ‘knowledge capital’. The University of Cape Town is also the top university in the African region.
Entrepreneurial spirit is also high in Cape Town with residents searching for ‘how to start a business’ over 22,210 times a month. This is also reflected by patent applications, with over 335,413 patent applications across the country since 1990, helping its capital rank high for innovation. The area also has 257 Kickstarter ideas with an average pledge of $7,918 for each.
3 South African innovations of note:
- Computed Axial Tomography (CAT) scan – Co-invented by South African physicist Allan Cormack of EMI Laboratories, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology for the invention in 1979.
- The world’s first human-to-human heart transplant – The surgery was performed by South African surgeon Dr Christiaan Barnard in 1967 at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town.
- Speed Gun – South African-made speed gun, developed by Henri Johnson of Somerset West in 1992 measures the speed and angles of speeding objects such as cricket and tennis balls
Ranked: The 20 most innovative cities in the world
| Rank | City | Country | Google Patent Applications | New business registrations | No. Top Uni | Ave. Ranking of Top Unis | Ave. Monthly SV for ‘how to start a business’ | Ave. Trend for ‘how to start a business’ | Kickstarters | INNOVATION INDEX SCORE
(out of 100) |
|
| (No. Ideas) | (Value of Ideas) | ||||||||||
| 1 | Paris | France | 995,194 | 201,087 | 10 | 68 | 3,210 | -5.00% | 2,983 | $51,701.05 | 79.3 |
| 2 | Washington D.C. | USA | 6,546,076 | 82,773 | 128 | 70 | 368,160 | -30.00% | 4,197 | $9,549.84 | 75.5 |
| 3 | Canberra | Australia | 2,113,890 | 235,654 | 27 | 64 | 26,640 | -4.00% | 200 | $8,281.44 | 75.5 |
| 4 | Berlin | Germany | 4,700,194 | 72,844 | 23 | 74 | 6,430 | -13.00% | 1,913 | $14,563.47 | 74.8 |
| 5 | Rome | Italy | 678,986 | 114,360 | 15 | 60 | 3,600 | -6.00% | 557 | $26,585.55 | 70.5 |
| 6 | Stockholm | Sweden | 748,933 | 45,590 | 7 | 80 | 3,380 | -13.00% | 1,627 | $160,512.72 | 70.5 |
| 7 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 435,670 | 71,531 | 7 | 79 | 5,510 | -11.00% | 1,328 | $31,807.73 | 69.8 |
| 8 | Madrid | Spain | 1,111,211 | 94,676 | 21 | 53 | 2,890 | -8.00% | 1,042 | $25,935.16 | 68.0 |
| 9 | Tokyo | Japan | 20,319,334 | 29,243 | 33 | 61 | 3,020 | -14.00% | 1,128 | $79,085.68 | 66.8 |
| 10 | Beijing | China | 13,252,897 | 82,773 | 68 | 54 | 1,020 | 35.00% | 200 | $14,007.69 | 64.3 |
| 11 | Cape Town | South Africa | 335,413 | 376,727 | 7 | 58 | 22,210 | -12.00% | 257 | $7,918.39 | 63.3 |
| 12 | New Delhi | India | 81,937 | 123,942 | 13 | 56 | 215,490 | 17.00% | 71 | $6,735.66 | 62.0 |
| 13 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 164,596 | 82,773 | 6 | 76 | 3,120 | -26.00% | 3,454 | $138,344.08 | 61.8 |
| 14 | Ottawa | Canada | 1,463,643 | 4,065 | 23 | 66 | 34,880 | -30.00% | 799 | $11,933.60 | 61.0 |
| 15 | Singapore | Singapore | 144,830 | 43,046 | 2 | 85 | 6,560 | -13.00% | 1,813 | $24,104.83 | 60.5 |
| 16 | Brussels | Belgium | 753,830 | 24,677 | 6 | 73 | 3,190 | -2.00% | 428 | $19,934.27 | 60.3 |
| 17 | Bangkok | Thailand | 461,117 | 55,589 | 14 | 37 | 3,020 | 20.00% | 214 | $29,812.72 | 60.3 |
| 18 | Oslo | Norway | 453,311 | 29,959 | 3 | 68 | 2,880 | -6.00% | 457 | $96,750.71 | 58.0 |
| 19 | Wellington | New Zealand | 143,129 | 56,380 | 7 | 62 | 6,300 | -23.00% | 328 | $38,018.24 | 57.8 |
| 20 | London | United Kingdom | 3,113,086 | 664,974 | 0 | 0 | 65,390 | -37.00% | 19,171 | $21,668.94 | 57.0 |
Paris is the most innovative global city
Beating Canberra to the top spot is Paris. With 201,087 new business registrations at the moment, Paris tops our list of most innovative cities. With £37,605.53 currently invested in Kickstarters across the country, France is experiencing a massive boom in fresh ideas and creations, placing its capital comfortably ahead of the second-place city. Inventors of braille, stethoscopes, and pencil sharpeners, the country has a longstanding reputation for being the leader in innovation, bringing countless inventions that we now take for granted into the world.
The USA’s capital currently has 6,546,076 patent applications
The USA has been a leader in technology and business for years. Home of Apple, Microsoft, and shopping malls, countless innovations have traveled across the Atlantic from the US and adopted by other countries. This reputation makes it easy to believe that its capital, Washington DC, comes second on the list of the most innovative cities. With 82,772 new business registrations and 368,160 monthly searches for ‘how to start a business’, it’s clear that our friends across the pond will continue to lead innovations globally for years to come.
Canberra has seen 235,654 new business applications
Leading the march in medical innovations, Canberra is third on our list of the most innovative cities. Penicillin, spray-on skin (a skin culturing treatment for skin damage victims), electronic pacemakers, and the ultrasound scan are just a few of the offerings Australian innovators have made to medicine, and they aren’t stopping any time soon. Over 2,000,000 patent applications are currently in review, so it’s safe to say there is plenty in the works when it comes to innovations in Canberra.
