Lifestyle

South African city ranked among the top 10 in the world for nightlife

Caitlyn Hilliard-Lomas

 ·29 Aug 2026

Johannesburg has been named the seventh-best city in the world for nightlife.

Time Out has recently published its new Global Nightlife Ranking for 2026, placing Johannesburg as the highest-ranked African city on the list.

The ranking is based on a survey of over 24,000 respondents living in cities, as well as the assistance of Time Out’s global network of local editors and city experts.

In the new ranking, Bangkok, Thailand, was voted the best for nightlife worldwide.

Johannesburg received an affordability score of 66%, which makes it one of the more budget-friendly places to experience a night out.

According to Time Out, 80% of people living in Johannesburg said it was easy to find connections and community in Joburg.

For this sector, this is one of the highest scores recorded for the 2026 survey.

The activities voted Joburg’s best nightlife endeavours include clubbing, casual pubs, and cocktail bars.

“Johannesburg’s nightlife has always thrived on reinvention. From the legendary Carfax warehouse parties of the 1990s to today’s genre-blurring dance floors,” local expert Mlili Mpondo told Time Out.  

“Jozi remains one of Africa’s most exciting places to stay out until sunrise,” Mpondo said.

Mpondo said that Newtown remains one of the best places to experience vibrant energy. On Gwigwi Mrwebi Street.

The street was named after the South African jazz musician and saxophonist Benni / Gwigwi Mrwebi, who took local sounds beyond the country’s borders. 

Club A.M., AND Club, Bad Manors, and Carfax are very popular clubs in Joburg, and are located next to each other in one of the city’s biggest nightlife precincts.

Johannesburg’s nightlife has been praised for its diversity, ranging from deep house, techno, Afro-house, gqom, drum and bass, to experimental sounds.

Melville and Rosebank in Johannesburg offer cocktail bars, live music and neighbourhood hangouts. 

Local favourites include Six Cocktail Bar on 7th Street and A Streetbar Named Desire on Bolton Road.

2026 top 20 best cities for nightlife

South Africa takes the stage

Earlier this year, South Africa took home another global award. Cape Town was ranked the 11th-best city in the world for food in Time Out’s 2026 ranking.

Cape Town has joined the ranks of global cities such as Lima, Bangkok, Mexico City, London, and Barcelona. 

The annual ranking, which evaluates cities based on a global survey of residents, is conducted by Time Out’s international network of food experts. 

The assessment considers factors such as food quality, affordability, innovation, diversity, and local dining culture.

Although Cape Town fell from fourth place in the 2025 rankings, it achieved the third-highest score worldwide for food quality, with 93% of locals rating it positively. 

The city’s drop in the rankings was mainly due to issues with affordability.

Among the standout culinary experiences highlighted by Time Out were Amura by Ángel León and the Test Kitchen Fledglings.

The group said that this recognition is part of a broader wave of international acclaim for South African food and culture.

Time Out also ranked Zuney Burger’s Wagyu Burger as the second-best burger in the world, following Tokyo’s Smash Things, in an earlier 2026 ranking.

Johannesburg’s Mafia Bite secured the eighth position, demonstrating the depth and diversity of South Africa’s culinary scene.

Photos of Joburg nightclubs