Population of cities in South Africa 2026

South Africa cities population

Code	City	Population		Share (%)	Rank		Change
Code	City	2025	2026	Share (%)	South Africa	World	Population	(%)
Joha	Johannesburg	7,077,175	7,173,199	11.1	1	49	96,024	1.36
Cape	Cape Town	4,508,921	4,585,729	7.08	2	93	76,808	1.70
Durb	Durban	3,177,927	3,179,346	4.91	3	156	1,419	0.04
Pret	Pretoria	1,836,166	1,862,152	2.88	4	272	25,986	1.42
Klip	Klipgat	1,300,816	1,317,564	2.03	5	391	16,748	1.29
Temb	Tembisa	1,298,512	1,317,315	2.03	6	393	18,803	1.45
Evat	Evaton	773,229	782,698	1.21	7	679	9,469	1.22
Gqeb	Gqeberha	661,220	661,405	1.02	8	826	185	0.03
Mase	Masetjhaba View	522,402	535,560	0.827	9	1041	13,158	2.52
Bloe	Bloemfontein	496,295	501,579	0.775	10	1111	5,284	1.06
Chie	Chief Albert Luthuli Park	441,204	458,367	0.708	11	1230	17,163	3.89
Polo	Polokwane	451,786	452,460	0.699	12	1246	674	0.15
Eden	Edendale	342,930	344,358	0.532	13	1680	1,428	0.42
Kany	Kanyamazane	292,211	296,149	0.457	14	1980	3,938	1.35
Kimb	Kimberley	271,078	280,742	0.434	15	2085	9,664	3.57
Mada	Madadeni	277,281	277,698	0.429	16	2113	417	0.15
Paar	Paarl	259,665	265,230	0.410	17	2228	5,565	2.14
Vand	Vanderbijlpark	257,093	260,166	0.402	18	2270	3,073	1.20
Cent	Centurion	255,900	260,046	0.402	19	2275	4,146	1.62
Some	Somerset West	239,943	244,643	0.378	20	2422	4,700	1.96
Rees	Reeston	244,390	244,460	0.378	21	2425	70	0.03
Rust	Rustenburg	220,723	223,705	0.346	22	2658	2,982	1.35
eMal	eMalahleni	220,586	223,187	0.345	23	2671	2,601	1.18
Bots	Botshabelo-N	218,046	223,082	0.345	24	2674	5,036	2.31
Lena	Lenasia	214,770	217,786	0.336	25	2754	3,016	1.40
Enne	Ennerdale	210,428	214,274	0.331	26	2794	3,846	1.83
Midd	Middelburg	209,906	212,354	0.328	27	2831	2,448	1.17
Diep	Diepsloot	196,763	198,440	0.306	28	3054	1,677	0.85
Phut	Phuthaditjhaba	182,141	182,254	0.281	29	3344	113	0.06
Vosm	Vosman	179,869	182,090	0.281	30	3349	2,221	1.23
Geor	George	179,907	180,250	0.278	31	3386	343	0.19
KwaM	KwaMhlanga	164,049	166,880	0.258	32	3664	2,831	1.73
Moth	Motherwell	165,100	165,115	0.255	33	3705	15	0.01
Rieb	Riebeeckstad	157,921	160,357	0.248	34	3816	2,436	1.54
Sisu	Sisulu Village	157,462	157,536	0.243	35	3893	74	0.05
Sakh	Sakhrol	149,742	150,723	0.233	36	4079	981	0.66
eMba	eMbalenhle	146,921	148,690	0.230	37	4131	1,769	1.20
Sewe	Seweding	145,930	147,448	0.228	38	4180	1,518	1.04
Ga-R	Ga-Rankuwa	144,161	147,093	0.227	39	4191	2,932	2.03
Bomb	Bombay Heights	143,723	143,768	0.222	40	4291	45	0.03
Moha	Mohadin	140,960	142,058	0.219	41	4333	1,098	0.78
KwaN	KwaNobuhle	125,644	125,713	0.194	42	4928	69	0.05
Cosm	Cosmo City	120,401	123,400	0.191	43	5035	2,999	2.49
Paar	Paardekraal Ext 2	119,589	121,431	0.188	44	5126	1,842	1.54
Worc	Worcester	111,039	115,386	0.178	45	5406	4,347	3.91
Coal	Coalbrook	112,185	113,608	0.175	46	5496	1,423	1.27
Kari	Kariega	111,872	111,905	0.173	47	5582	33	0.03
Akas	Akasia	106,130	107,970	0.167	48	5790	1,840	1.73
Sekg	Sekgakgapeng	105,105	105,251	0.163	49	5944	146	0.14
Stel	Stellenbosch	101,507	104,726	0.162	50	5979	3,219	3.17
Mpum	Mpumalanga	104,558	104,675	0.162	51	5982	117	0.11
KaMa	KaMaqhekeza	101,465	104,464	0.161	52	5992	2,999	2.96
Mbol	Mboloko	102,374	103,811	0.160	53	6033	1,437	1.40
Blou	Blouberg Rise	98,805	100,730	0.156	54	6209	1,925	1.95
Rua	Rua Vista	99,222	100,726	0.156	55	6211	1,504	1.52

Source	UN (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)
Date	10 Apr 2026

List of cities in South Africa by population

South Africa cities population