South Africa’s first ‘smart town’ voted among the best places to live

·27 Sep 2026

Clarens in the Free State was named one of the best small towns in South Africa to live in, making it a top destination for residents seeking a quieter lifestyle.

The town was ranked fifth in the Daily Maverick’s Small Towns of the Year for 2025, receiving an overall score of 87.8%.

It ranked just behind Barrydale in the Western Cape, White River in Mpumalanga, Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape and Cullinan in Gauteng.

The rankings followed a months-long process that began with 2,069 nominations from readers across the country.

Nine writers, representing different provinces, researched the nominations, selected provincial winners and visited the shortlisted towns.

The towns were assessed on cleanliness, municipal performance, community spirit, safety, natural environment, family friendliness, and connectivity.

The publication also considered the “M-Factor”, which it described as the distinctive atmosphere and character of a town.

Clarens scored 88% for cleanliness, 80% for municipal performance, 80% for community, 90% for safety, 90% for nature, 100% for family friendliness and 90% for connectivity.

Located about 336km from Johannesburg and 284km from Bloemfontein, Clarens was established in 1912 and is known as the “Jewel of the Eastern Free State”.

It was named after Clarens in Switzerland, where former South African president Paul Kruger spent his final years in exile.

The town is centred around Clarens Town Square, with surrounding residential areas following the hillsides and towards the Maluti Mountains.

It has developed a strong tourism economy, supported by its scenery, accommodation, restaurants, outdoor activities and arts community.

Clarens is particularly known for its galleries and artists. The town has about 20 permanent art galleries, with exhibitions featuring South African artists and changing regularly.

Its reputation has also contributed to the annual Clarens Art Festival, which attracted about 5,000 people in 2026.

The town is also an important agricultural hub, with the area’s altitude and climate supporting crops such as cherries and other fruit.

Other notable events include a craft beer festival, a cherry festival, and a festival of lights, while nearby rock-art sites provide another link to the region’s history.

First ‘smart town’ pilot

Despite its small permanent population, the town attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Census figures record only 751 people in the town itself, although the population rises to about 6,500 when neighbouring Kgubetswana is included.

Property prices also reflect the town’s popularity. Townhouses and sectional-title properties generally range from about R1.2 million to R2.2 million, while family homes range from roughly R2.5 million to R2.6 million.

Larger homes, luxury properties and established guesthouses can sell for R3.5 million to more than R6 million.

Clarens has also gained attention for its approach to electricity management and was dubbed South Africa’s first ‘smart town’.

In 2024, Eskom announced that the town had become the first in South Africa to pilot “group curtailment”, allowing the community to manage its electricity demand collectively.

The project used a meter at the town’s main point of supply to monitor electricity demand, with data transmitted every 60 seconds. Residents and businesses could then reduce consumption in real time when necessary.

“As Clarens is already gearing up for smart city initiatives with smart metering and electric vehicle charging stations already installed,” Eskom said.

At the time, Gert Kruger, the town’s group coordinator, said the system was particularly important for a tourism-dependent community.

“For a town that depends on tourism, not being subjected to load shedding was life-changing,” he said.

Eskom said the pilot had successfully demonstrated that residents could collectively reduce and manage electricity demand, and provided a successful model for similar projects elsewhere in South Africa.