{"id":857131,"date":"2026-04-18T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=857131"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:26:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T13:26:22","slug":"another-small-town-in-south-africa-voted-as-the-best-to-live-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/property\/857131\/another-small-town-in-south-africa-voted-as-the-best-to-live-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Another small town in South Africa voted as the best to live in"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

White River in Mpumalanga has been voted as one of South Africa\u2019s best small towns to live in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December 2025, the Daily Maverick<\/a> crowned the town its Small Town of the Year after it achieved an impressive score of 93%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This score is only 1% behind the top-ranked town on the list, which is Barrydale, a notable semigration hotspot in the Western Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The title and ranking of the best small towns followed a months-long selection process that began with readers nominating their favourite towns across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A total of 2,069 nominations were submitted to nine writers\u2014one representing each province\u2014who researched the towns and narrowed them down to a final provincial winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Towns were evaluated across seven categories. These included cleanliness, municipal performance, community spirit, safety, natural environment, family friendliness and connectivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the publication stressed that a defining element, the \u201cM-Factor\u201d\u2014the intangible energy that shapes a town\u2019s character\u2014played a decisive role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final stage required writers to visit each shortlisted town personally and compare their experiences before agreeing on the national winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White River ranked as the second-best small town to live in. White River is a small holiday and farming town situated just North of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The farms in the White River region of Mpumalanga produce tropical fruit, vegetables, flowers, and timber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scenic town is one of the most popular holiday destinations for tourists, and the town has developed a well-earned reputation for its arts and crafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White River is a half-hour’s drive from the Numbi Gate of the Kruger National Park and is on the road to both the Blyde River Canyon and God’s Window, which are two of the country\u2019s top tourist attractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also within short striking distance of the border post to Mozambique, which is also a popular holiday destination, which is only 95km away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why people are drawn to White River<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

White River is in the Mbombela A Municipal Zone, falling under Ward 30 and is governed by the Democratic Alliance (DA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over recent years, property experts such as Century 21 and Chas Everitt have noted a growing demand for estate living in the town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Popular security and wildlife estates include Waterberry Estate, Wild Fig Estate, Waterkant Estate, Recoletta, Summerbreeze, Sheffield, and the White River Golf Estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the demand experienced in White River comes from wealthy semigrants from Gauteng looking for a holiday home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another notable group are people who want to retire and are looking for a place with a good climate and proximity to popular tourist attractions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also offers top education with the establishment of notable schools such as Uplands College, White River Primary School, and Penryn College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in an interview on 702<\/a>, Michael Khoza, who has lived in White River since 2005, agreed with the property experts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He believes the town\u2019s appeal lies in a combination of lifestyle, location, and stability. He said the town offers \u201cquite a lot of things\u201d that make it stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khoza said one of the biggest things is the climate, along with access to essential services, noting convenient transport links such as the nearby Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khoza also highlighted the town\u2019s management as a key factor in its ranking among the best small towns to live in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite broader national challenges, he believes the town is being managed properly, adding that \u201cit\u2019s very well looked after.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He acknowledged that, like many municipalities in South Africa, White River faces difficulties, but maintained that these are relatively well handled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another drawcard is the quality of life for families. Khoza points out that there are recreational areas for kids to play in the parks, while adults also have spaces to stay active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khoza noted that his long-term residency underscored his belief that White River remains a desirable and well-rounded place to live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Images of White River<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A small agricultural town in Mpumalanga has been voted as one of the best places to live in South Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":857168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12755],"tags":[2139,25187,853,25188],"class_list":["post-857131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-2139","tag-small-town-of-the-year","tag-south-africa","tag-white-river"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=857131"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":857172,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857131\/revisions\/857172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/857168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}