Vast 900-hectare airport in Africa named best on the continent for 11th year in a row

A massive airport in South Africa was named the continent’s best for the 11th time in a row this year. Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) is the primary international flight hub serving Cape Town.

Located approximately some 12 miles from the Cape Town CBD, the South African capital’s main economic hub, CTIA sees around 10 million passengers per year. It’s an important pillar of the nation’s multi-billion-pound tourism industry, and the second budiest in South Africa, as well as the fourth busiest in the continent overall. CTIA was voted the best airport in Africa in Skytrax’s World Airport Awards this year. The list was voted on by air travellers around the world in the 2025/2026 World Airport Survey.

Three South African airports made the top five in Africa, which also included:

2. O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg (South Africa)

3. Marrakech Menara Airport (Morocco)

4. King Shaka International Airport, Durban (South Africa)

5. Mohammed V International Airport, Casablanca (Morocco)

CTIA was also recognised as cleanest airport on the continent, and for having the best airport staff, TimeOut reports.

Launched in 1954, the aviation thorough fare looks intent on cementing it’s reputation with a range of improvements. This include the addition of a new realigned runway to “improve air traffic efficiency while unlocking critical passenger terminal capacity development space within the airport precinct”, Airports Company South Africa, the state-owned entity that operates CTIA says.

The addition is set to cost R6.39 billion (around £293million), with the main contractor to be appointed in December.

Among the other major works in motion are an expansion of the Domestic Terminal Building, commencing in April 2027, and improvements to the International Terminal Building, through a series of phased developments.

This will include the addition of further apron stands, “expanded commercial and lounge offerings, and improvements to immigration processing and bussing gates”.

Thabo Phateng, the airport’s acting regional general manager said: “These planned developments represent a significant step in strengthening Cape Town International Airport’s role as a critical economic gateway for the Western Cape and South Africa.

“By expanding capacity and enhancing operational resilience, we are positioning the airport to support sustained passenger growth, tourism expansion, trade facilitation and long-term regional economic development.”

CTIA is only the second biggest airport in South Africa behind O.R. Tambo International Airport, but it’s still enormous, with the entire complex covering around 900 hectares.

For context, Heathrow, Britain’s biggest and busiest, is spread over 1,227 hectares.