Cape Town has been announced as the winner of the Designer City Award for 2014, it was confirmed Wednesday.

Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile described the achievement as an “honour”.

"We are honoured that Cape Town is the first city in Africa to achieve this award," Mashatile said.

Cape Town won the award on the basis that it used "design as an effective tool for social, cultural and economic development."

It is the fourth city to receive the award from the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design.

There were 56 cities in the world that competed for the award.

Dublin in Ireland and Spain’s Bilbao were the other two finalists for the 2014 award.

"2014, then, is the moment when the past and the future will come together for Cape Town, in contemplation and in action," said Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Ms. Patricia de Lille. "It is a reflection of how the city has socially and physically reinvented itself."

Cape Town’s vision of design is based on socially responsible design, sustainability and innovation. The theme "Live Design. Transform Life" was introduced in support of Cape Town’s objective to focus on enhancing the city’s infrastructure to make it a more liveable African City.

"We are grateful for the World Design Capital bid process and title. It has helped to bring different initiatives together and has made us realise that design in all its forms, when added together, creates human and city development. We look forward to learning from other cities that are using design as a tool for transformation, including designated cities Torino, Seoul and Helsinki and our fellow shortlisted cities, Dublin and Bilbao. We are honoured to have been considered with them," de Lille added.

Image: Getty