South Africa Cities by Population 2026
5 Most Populated South Africa Cities
12,043,175
4,974,327
3,303,046
3,296,921
1,047,642
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Annual Change |
|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 12,043,175 | 2.88% |
| Cape Town | 4,974,327 | 2.51% |
| Durban | 3,303,046 | 1.14% |
| Pretoria | 3,296,921 | 4.26% |
| Port Elizabeth | 1,047,642 | 1.2% |
| Soshanguve | 971,322 | 1.94% |
| Evaton | 697,718 | 0.95% |
| Bloemfontein | 668,963 | 2.46% |
| Rustenburg | 660,294 | 5.13% |
| Witbank | 608,669 | 4.56% |
| Pietermaritzburg | 584,702 | 1.39% |
| Vereeniging | 515,483 | 2.09% |
| Polokwane | 481,421 | 5.13% |
| East London | 423,375 | 2.42% |
| Somerset West | 351,347 | 4.26% |
| Middelburg | 346,784 | 5.13% |
| Uitenhage | 342,315 | 2.31% |
| Paarl | 313,059 | 3.11% |
| Newcastle | 309,627 | 0.4% |
| Kimberley | 301,647 | 1.97% |
| Welkom | 237,772 | 0.8% |
| Klerksdorp | 236,456 | 1.49% |
| George | 232,679 | 2.64% |
| Stanger | 229,150 | 3.61% |
| Mthatha | 228,120 | 3.43% |
| Potchefstroom | 210,536 | 2.34% |
| Botshabelo | 191,882 | 0.36% |
| Sasolburg | 185,405 | 3.33% |
| Ermelo | 174,939 | 5.03% |
| Embalenhle | 172,255 | 2.5% |
| Mdantsane | 157,341 | -0.57% |
| Ladysmith | 151,439 | 1.58% |
| Heidelberg | 132,563 | 4.19% |
| Mokopane | 131,488 | 3.77% |
| Standerton | 130,472 | 2.95% |
| Carletonville | 130,079 | -0.9% |
| Bethal | 128,671 | 5.13% |
| Hammanskraal | 128,143 | 2.07% |
| Stellenbosch | 127,094 | 3.11% |
| Queenstown | 126,422 | 1.64% |
| Worcester | 126,231 | 1.77% |
| Nelspruit | 124,204 | 5.13% |
| Tweefontein | 119,605 | 1.52% |
| Brits | 113,364 | 3.77% |
| Orkney | 110,463 | 1.24% |
| Kroonstad | 110,095 | 0.79% |
| Kokstad | 109,110 | 5.13% |
| eMkhondo | 107,033 | 4.24% |
| King William's Town | 104,432 | 1.99% |
| Delmas | 97,568 | 4.27% |
| Mossel Bay | 95,370 | 2.5% |
| Atlantis | 93,992 | 2.08% |
| Upington | 93,072 | 2.16% |
| Bethlehem | 92,691 | 1.33% |
| Hermanus | 90,926 | 4.52% |
| Nkowankowa | 90,733 | 5.13% |
| Musina | 90,347 | 5.13% |
| Lichtenburg | 89,943 | 4.66% |
| Mahikeng | 89,125 | 2.19% |
| Lydenburg | 87,650 | 5.13% |
| Mankweng | 87,428 | 5.13% |
| Thohoyandou | 86,469 | -0.22% |
| Trichardt | 86,359 | 4.59% |
| Barberton | 82,515 | 3.6% |
| Ekangala | 79,090 | 3.31% |
| Grahamstown | 76,466 | 0.86% |
| Knysna | 76,075 | 2.83% |
| Mkhuhlu | 75,924 | 5.13% |
| Bela-Bela | 74,523 | 3.42% |
| Richards Bay | 74,183 | 2.59% |
| Vryheid | 73,445 | 2.97% |
| Oudtshoorn | 72,337 | 1.09% |
| Malmesbury | 70,183 | 4.57% |
| Leslie | 68,989 | 5.04% |
| Port Shepstone | 68,781 | 4.2% |
| Vryburg | 68,268 | 2.57% |
| Plettenberg Bay | 67,367 | 5.13% |
| Vredenburg | 64,758 | 3.55% |
| Phuthaditjhaba | 63,882 | 0.85% |
| Tongaat | 63,403 | 1.06% |
| Bronkhorstspruit | 62,034 | 4.01% |
| Virginia | 61,178 | -0.53% |
| Thabazimbi | 61,067 | 5.13% |
| Mpumalanga | 60,516 | -0.2% |
| Wolmaransstad | 59,989 | 3.96% |
| Stilfontein | 59,662 | -0.45% |
| Schweizer-Reneke | 58,493 | 2.36% |
| Empangeni | 58,442 | 5.13% |
| Modimolle | 58,093 | 2.19% |
| Mondlo | 57,737 | 1.68% |
| Odendaalsrus | 57,645 | -0.67% |
| Jeffreys Bay | 57,386 | 5.13% |
| Parys | 55,641 | 0.97% |
| Thaba Nchu | 55,275 | -0.62% |
| Howick | 55,118 | 4.85% |
| Grabouw | 54,626 | 3.78% |
| Margate | 54,259 | 4.82% |
| Louis Trichardt | 53,685 | 5.13% |
| Phola | 52,467 | 3.38% |
| Letlhabile | 52,197 | 1.54% |
| Ficksburg | 51,766 | 1.53% |
| Postmasburg | 51,096 | 3.59% |
| Elukwatuni | 49,006 | 3.06% |
| Dundee | 48,511 | 2.22% |
| Aliwal North | 48,243 | 2.13% |
| Hendrina | 48,238 | 5.13% |
| Warrenton | 47,819 | 5.13% |
| Cradock | 46,553 | 1.6% |
| Fochville | 45,563 | 1.13% |
| Cullinan | 44,632 | 3.05% |
| Humansdorp | 44,170 | 2.85% |
| Siyabuswa | 43,647 | 1.13% |
| Mandini | 42,962 | 2.13% |
| Kwaggafontein | 42,854 | -0.34% |
| Butterworth | 42,019 | -0.35% |
| Saldanha | 41,734 | 2.66% |
| Bothaville | 41,650 | -0.67% |
| Koster | 41,277 | 5.13% |
| Graaff-Reinet | 41,095 | 0.95% |
| Frankfort | 40,711 | 3% |
| Robertson | 40,291 | 2.52% |
| Beaufort West | 39,918 | 1.06% |
| Bloemhof | 39,769 | 2.39% |
| Viljoenskroon | 39,399 | 1.51% |
| Jan Kempdorp | 38,784 | 3.55% |
| Balfour | 38,162 | 2.6% |
| Wembesi | 37,867 | 1.97% |
| De Aar | 37,123 | 1.43% |
| Port Alfred | 35,419 | 2.12% |
| Mpophomeni | 35,251 | 2.12% |
| Barkly West | 34,337 | 3.63% |
| Ladybrand | 34,249 | 1.9% |
| Nigel | 33,434 | 0.66% |
| Ventersdorp | 33,420 | 2.8% |
| Folweni | 33,049 | 0.56% |
| Estcourt | 32,818 | 2.68% |
| Fort Beaufort | 31,933 | 1.47% |
| Ulundi | 31,546 | 1.16% |
| Volksrust | 31,386 | 1.72% |
| Senekal | 30,814 | 1.26% |
| Harrismith | 30,767 | 0.66% |
| Ottosdal | 30,744 | 3.49% |
| Hartbeestfontein | 30,528 | 3.36% |
| Heilbron | 30,511 | 0.72% |
| Hartbeestfontein A | 30,359 | 0.95% |
| Douglas | 29,658 | 2.63% |
| Gonubie | 29,572 | 2.71% |
| Christiana | 29,531 | 2.34% |
| Moloto | 29,505 | 3.19% |
| Middelburg | 29,469 | 3.09% |
| Ceres | 28,855 | 1.27% |
| Mooi Rivier | 28,533 | 3.07% |
| Zastron | 28,273 | 4.04% |
| Stutterheim | 28,162 | 0.88% |
| Clydesdale | 27,891 | 4.07% |
| Deneysville | 27,649 | 2.36% |
| Carolina | 27,625 | 3.35% |
| Groot Brakrivier | 27,549 | 4.12% |
| Montagu | 27,283 | 3.99% |
| Bultfontein | 27,232 | 1.03% |
| Coligny | 26,922 | 3% |
| Wesselsbron | 26,351 | -0.11% |
| Vredendal | 26,081 | 2.44% |
| Greytown | 26,072 | 2.02% |
| Swellendam | 25,748 | 2.6% |
| Hoopstad | 25,738 | 3.2% |
| Colesberg | 25,642 | 2.83% |
| Theunissen | 25,157 | 0.45% |
| Reitz | 25,107 | 1.46% |
| Phomolong | 24,808 | 1.26% |
| Glencoe | 24,420 | 2.23% |
| Whittlesea | 24,401 | -0.97% |
| Kriel | 23,301 | 2.87% |
| Riversdale | 23,003 | 2.38% |
| Somerset East | 22,795 | 1.28% |
| Ritchie | 22,623 | 2.85% |
| Verena | 22,434 | 1.58% |
| Zeerust | 21,916 | 2.13% |
| Bredasdorp | 20,851 | 1.99% |
| Burgersdorp | 20,530 | 1.68% |
| Marquard | 20,003 | 1.71% |
| Ncotshane | 19,865 | 1.32% |
| Clocolan | 19,128 | 0.56% |
| Allanridge | 18,847 | -0.17% |
| Umzinto | 18,729 | 0.97% |
| Amandelbult Mine | 18,664 | -0.9% |
| Vaalbank | 18,242 | 0.76% |
| Tshiame | 18,231 | 1.37% |
| Vrede | 18,099 | 0.15% |
| Dimbaza | 17,780 | -1.34% |
| Redhill | 16,591 | -1.01% |
| Villiers | 16,025 | -0.52% |
| Elliot | 13,376 | -0.48% |
| Phalaborwa | 13,367 | 0.13% |
| Frischgewaagd | 12,561 | -0.48% |
South Africa Overview
The largest city in South Africa is Johannesburg, with a population of 12,043,175 people.
The southernmost country in Africa and the largest country in southern Africa, South Africa is an ecologically diverse and multicultural country, home to mountains, beaches, forests and lagoons. While Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, with a population of around 12M residents, it is not the country’s capital city. Unusually, South Africa actually has three separate capital cities: Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town. Each of these functions as the seat of a different branch of government. Pretoria is the location of the administrative branch of government. An intellectual and research hub, the city is home to three universities and has a population of 3.3M residents.
Bloemfontein is the judicial capital of South Africa and is the location of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa. The city has a population of around 669K residents, making it the seventh largest city in the country. Its name is derived from the Afrikaans and Dutch for ‘fountain of flowers’ or ‘blooming fountain’, but it is also known as ‘The City of Roses’ as the flowers are very popular and an annual rose festival is held in the city. South Africa’s third capital is the coastal city of Cape Town, the seat of the Parliament of South Africa and the country’s legislative capital. Cape Town is home to 5M residents in the city. Cape Town is known for its harbor and the famous flat-topped Table Mountain, which overlooks the city.
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