Cape Town is invited to vote for its favourite retailer, eatery, small business and attraction before 6 October 2026
Twenty-one V&A Waterfront businesses and attractions have been named finalists in the 2026 People’s Choice Awards, and the public is now invited to vote for their favourites. The top five finalists have been shortlisted in the Retail Shop, Eatery and Attraction categories, while six finalists have been shortlisted in the Small Business category following a tie for fifth place.
People’s Choice is the only category in the V&A’s Neighbourhood Awards decided entirely by the public with visitors, customers and local supporters choosing the Waterfront businesses that have made the biggest impression on their experience. It sits alongside five other categories in this year’s expanded programme, which also recognises responsible business, destination advocacy, service excellence, and new and reimagined spaces.
The 2026 People’s Choice finalists
Favourite Retail Shop – Top 5
● Koco Bino
● Shimansky
● Woolworths
● H&M
● Nicci Boutique
Favourite Eatery – Top 5
● NOW NOW
● Den Anker
● Tashas
● Cooked
● Quay Four
Favourite Small Business – Top 6
● Tiffany Marx Jewellery
● Bomba
● Mia Mélange
● Heart at Work
● Spirit Jewellery
● Simply Bee
Favourite Attraction – Top 5
● HintHunt Africa
● Cape Wheel
● Two Oceans Aquarium
● Cape Town Diamond Museum
● Cave Golf
Every vote is a show of support for the people behind these businesses and attractions. It recognises the teams that create memorable experiences and ensures that the public’s experience forms part of how excellence across the Waterfront is celebrated.
Palesa Ramodibe, Executive Manager: Marketing at the V&A Waterfront, says the People’s Choice Awards provide a direct view of what visitors value. “The V&A Waterfront is shaped by the millions of people who visit us and by the businesses and teams that serve them every day. While we can measure performance in many ways, the People’s Choice Award tells us something equally important: which places have built a genuine connection with their customers and become part of their Waterfront experience.
“For the V&A, this Award is an important reminder that a successful destination is not created by its location alone. It is created through the quality of every welcome, interaction, meal, purchase and experience across the neighbourhood. By voting, the public helps us recognise the businesses getting this right and reinforces the standard of hospitality and service we want the Waterfront to be known for.”
To cast your vote, visit the 2026 V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Awards voting page.
To cast your vote, visit the 2026 V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Awards voting page. Members of the public who vote will also stand a chance to win one of five R2,000 V&A Waterfront shopping vouchers.
Voting is open from 22 September until 6 October 2026. The winners will be announced alongside the other V&A Neighbourhood Awards recipients at the awards evening on 29 October 2026.
The expansion of the awards reflects the scale and diversity of the V&A Waterfront’s business ecosystem, which welcomes approximately 25 million visits a year, provides a platform for 433 small and medium-sized enterprises, and supports more than 83,000 jobs across South Africa. For more information about the V&A Neighbourhood Awards, please visit the website.