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South Africa Map – Cities & Towns [ZA]

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    Southern Africa • ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2: ZA

    South Africa Map – Cities & Towns [ZA]

    South Africa’s urban map is shaped by three national capitals, nine provinces, eight metropolitan municipalities and a wide network of regional towns. Johannesburg is the largest urban and economic centre; Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein carry separate national capital functions. Provincial seats such as Bhisho, Pietermaritzburg, Polokwane, Mbombela, Kimberley and Mahikeng anchor administration beyond the main metros. The map also reflects official name changes, including KuGompo City for East London and earlier changes such as Gqeberha, Kariega, Qonce and Makhanda. Place points represent settlement centres, while municipal boundaries may cover suburbs, townships, villages, farmland and several distinct towns.

    Capital Functions Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein
    Country Code ZA
    Provinces 9
    Municipalities 257: 8 metro, 44 district, 205 local
    Interactive South Africa Cities and Towns Map

    The point layer covers national and provincial capitals, metropolitan centres, regional cities and selected towns. Coordinates mark approximate settlement centres rather than municipal boundary centroids.

    National capital function Provincial capital Metropolitan centre Regional city or town Current official place name

    Settlement Points

    A city or town marker identifies a named settlement centre. It does not draw the full built-up area, suburb system or municipal boundary.

    Municipal Areas

    A metropolitan or local municipality can contain several settlements, townships, villages and rural land. Durban and eThekwini, for example, are related names but not identical geographic units.

    Capital Symbols

    Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein receive national-capital status. A separate provincial-capital role applies to the seats of the nine provinces.

    Name Pairing

    Current official names lead the labels. Earlier names remain in notes where they still appear in older atlases, addresses, historical records and search queries.

    Selected Cities and Towns

    The directory prioritises places that explain South Africa’s capital system, provincial administration, metropolitan structure, regional service network, ports, mining centres and long-distance settlement pattern. It is not a list of every main place, suburb, village or township recorded by Statistics South Africa.

    Selected South African cities and towns with administrative context and approximate centre coordinates
    Place Type Province Administrative Area Map Role Latitude Longitude Name Note
    Pretoria City Gauteng City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality Administrative capital -25.7479 28.2293 National executive and administrative centre
    Cape Town City Western Cape City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality Legislative and provincial capital -33.9249 18.4241 Parliamentary centre
    Bloemfontein City Free State Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Judicial and provincial capital -29.0852 26.1596 Home of the Supreme Court of Appeal
    Johannesburg City Gauteng City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Largest major urban centre and provincial capital -26.2041 28.0473 Constitutional Court is located in Johannesburg
    Durban City KwaZulu-Natal eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality Indian Ocean metro centre and port -29.8587 31.0218 City name differs from metro name
    Gqeberha City Eastern Cape Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Coastal metro centre and port -33.9608 25.6022 Formerly Port Elizabeth
    KuGompo City City Eastern Cape Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Coastal metro centre -33.0153 27.9116 Formerly East London; official change gazetted in 2026
    Bhisho Town Eastern Cape Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Provincial capital -32.8499 27.4387 Administrative seat of Eastern Cape
    Pietermaritzburg City KwaZulu-Natal Msunduzi Local Municipality, uMgungundlovu District Provincial capital -29.6006 30.3794 Separate from Durban and eThekwini
    Polokwane City Limpopo Polokwane Local Municipality, Capricorn District Provincial capital and northern service hub -23.9045 29.4689 Older maps may show Pietersburg
    Mbombela City Mpumalanga City of Mbombela Local Municipality, Ehlanzeni District Provincial capital and Lowveld hub -25.4753 30.9694 Older maps may show Nelspruit
    Kimberley City Northern Cape Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, Frances Baard District Provincial capital -28.7282 24.7499 Main administrative centre of Northern Cape
    Mahikeng City North West Mahikeng Local Municipality, Ngaka Modiri Molema District Provincial capital -25.8652 25.6442 Older sources may use Mafikeng
    Soweto Large urban area Gauteng City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Major part of the Johannesburg urban system -26.2485 27.8540 Not a separate metropolitan municipality
    Germiston City Gauteng City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Administrative centre within a multi-centre metro -26.2259 28.1708 Ekurhuleni includes several established East Rand cities
    Rustenburg City North West Rustenburg Local Municipality, Bojanala Platinum District Mining and regional service centre -25.6676 27.2421 Eastern North West hub
    Klerksdorp City North West City of Matlosana Local Municipality, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Regional commercial centre -26.8521 26.6667 Part of the Matlosana urban area
    eMalahleni City Mpumalanga Emalahleni Local Municipality, Nkangala District Mining and energy centre -25.8713 29.2332 Formerly Witbank
    Middelburg Town Mpumalanga Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, Nkangala District N4 corridor centre -25.7751 29.4648 Not the Eastern Cape town of the same name
    Richards Bay City KwaZulu-Natal uMhlathuze Local Municipality, King Cetshwayo District Industrial port -28.7807 32.0383 Northern KwaZulu-Natal coast
    Newcastle City KwaZulu-Natal Newcastle Local Municipality, Amajuba District Inland industrial and service centre -27.7579 29.9318 Located away from the main coastal metro belt
    Welkom City Free State Matjhabeng Local Municipality, Lejweleputswa District Goldfields urban centre -27.9774 26.7351 Planned mining-era city
    Bethlehem Town Free State Dihlabeng Local Municipality, Thabo Mofutsanyana District Eastern Free State service centre -28.2308 28.3071 Regional road and agricultural hub
    George City Western Cape George Local Municipality, Garden Route District Garden Route service centre -33.9630 22.4617 Southern Cape regional hub
    Stellenbosch Town Western Cape Stellenbosch Local Municipality, Cape Winelands District Winelands university and administrative centre -33.9321 18.8602 Closely linked to the Cape Town region
    Upington Town Northern Cape Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality, ZF Mgcawu District Orange River service centre -28.4478 21.2561 Long-distance hub in a sparsely settled province
    Mthatha City Eastern Cape King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, OR Tambo District Inland regional centre -31.5889 28.7844 Older maps may show Umtata
    Thohoyandou Town Limpopo Thulamela Local Municipality, Vhembe District Vhembe regional centre -22.9456 30.4850 North-eastern Limpopo hub
    Musina Town Limpopo Musina Local Municipality, Vhembe District Border and transport town -22.3488 30.0407 Near the Zimbabwe border
    Robert Sobukwe Town Eastern Cape Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Karoo regional town -32.2522 24.5308 Formerly Graaff-Reinet; official change gazetted in 2026
    Xamdeboo Town Eastern Cape Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Karoo town -32.4759 24.0620 Formerly Aberdeen; official change gazetted in 2026
    Kariega Town Eastern Cape Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Inland part of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro -33.7576 25.3971 Formerly Uitenhage
    Qonce Town Eastern Cape Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Inland centre within Buffalo City -32.8803 27.3945 Formerly King William’s Town
    Makhanda Town Eastern Cape Makana Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Education and administrative centre -33.3106 26.5256 Formerly Grahamstown
    Population boundary caution: a municipal population may combine several towns, suburbs, townships, villages and rural areas. City rankings can change when a source uses a main place, municipality, continuous built-up area or wider urban agglomeration. For that reason, the directory does not attach mixed-boundary population totals to individual place rows.

    Three National Capitals and Nine Provincial Seats

    Pretoria

    Administrative Capital Gauteng

    Pretoria contains the Union Buildings and central executive offices. It lies inside the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and is distinct from Johannesburg.

    Cape Town

    Legislative Capital Western Cape Capital

    Cape Town hosts Parliament and also serves as the provincial capital of Western Cape, giving it two capital roles on the map.

    Bloemfontein

    Judicial Capital Free State Capital

    Bloemfontein is the stated judicial capital and the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The Constitutional Court is in Johannesburg.

    Provincial capitals and 2025 mid-year population estimates
    Province ISO Subdivision Code Capital 2025 Population Estimate Settlement Pattern
    Eastern Cape ZA-EC Bhisho 7,090,788 Two coastal metro systems, inland district centres and dispersed rural settlement
    Free State ZA-FS Bloemfontein 3,039,834 Central capital, mining belt and widely spaced agricultural towns
    Gauteng ZA-GP Johannesburg 16,104,933 Dense, connected metropolitan region
    KwaZulu-Natal ZA-KZN Pietermaritzburg 12,232,247 Coastal urban belt with inland provincial and district centres
    Limpopo ZA-LP Polokwane 6,366,192 Provincial hub, border towns and dispersed regional centres
    Mpumalanga ZA-MP Mbombela 5,076,133 N4-linked cities, mining centres and Lowveld towns
    Northern Cape ZA-NC Kimberley 1,379,183 Very widely spaced towns tied to rivers, mining and long-distance roads
    North West ZA-NW Mahikeng 4,183,947 Mining cities, agricultural towns and Botswana-border routes
    Western Cape ZA-WC Cape Town 7,627,688 Dominant Cape Town metro with Winelands, coast and Garden Route centres
    South Africa Population by Province, 2025
    Statistics South Africa mid-year estimates. Values are provincial estimates for 30 June 2025, not city populations.

    Cities, Towns and Municipalities Are Different Units

    South Africa uses three spheres of government: national, provincial and local. At local level, metropolitan municipalities govern the largest urban regions. Outside the metros, district municipalities contain local municipalities. A named city or town may sit inside any of these units without sharing the same name or boundary.

    8 Metropolitan Municipalities Single-tier local government across the largest urban regions
    44 District Municipalities Regional units covering groups of local municipalities
    205 Local Municipalities Local government areas containing towns, villages and rural land
    Municipalities by Type
    Department of Cooperative Governance count: 257 municipalities in total.

    South Africa’s Eight Metropolitan Municipalities

    Metro names often describe a broader government area than the best-known city label. This distinction is essential when comparing maps, addresses and population figures.

    Metropolitan municipalities and their best-known urban centres
    Metropolitan Municipality Province Main Urban Reference Map Interpretation
    Buffalo City Eastern Cape KuGompo City, Qonce and Bhisho One metro containing coastal and inland centres
    City of Cape Town Western Cape Cape Town City and metro names closely align, but the metro covers a much wider area
    City of Johannesburg Gauteng Johannesburg and Soweto Large connected urban municipality within the Gauteng city-region
    City of Tshwane Gauteng Pretoria and Centurion Municipal name differs from the national-capital city name
    Ekurhuleni Gauteng Germiston, Benoni, Boksburg and Kempton Park Multi-centre East Rand metro without one matching city label
    eThekwini KwaZulu-Natal Durban Durban is the main city label; eThekwini is the metropolitan municipality
    Mangaung Free State Bloemfontein Metro centred on the judicial and provincial capital
    Nelson Mandela Bay Eastern Cape Gqeberha and Kariega Metro name differs from both major settlement names

    Urban Corridors and Regional Settlement Patterns

    Gauteng City-Region

    Johannesburg, Soweto, Ekurhuleni, Midrand, Centurion and Pretoria form a connected high-density urban region. Municipal borders remain important even where the built-up landscape appears continuous.

    KwaZulu-Natal Coast

    Durban anchors the main coastal concentration, with settlement extending north and south along the Indian Ocean. Pietermaritzburg remains the provincial capital inland, while Richards Bay forms a separate northern port centre.

    Cape Town and the Winelands

    Cape Town dominates the south-western urban pattern. Stellenbosch, Paarl and nearby Winelands towns form distinct municipalities linked to the metro by roads, commuting and economic activity.

    Mpumalanga’s N4 Line

    eMalahleni, Middelburg and Mbombela sit along an east–west route connecting Gauteng with the Lowveld and Mozambique. The corridor links mining, logistics, provincial administration and cross-border travel.

    Eastern Cape Dual-Coast Pattern

    Gqeberha and KuGompo City are separate coastal metropolitan centres. Mthatha serves a broad inland and eastern catchment, while Bhisho carries the provincial-capital role.

    Northern Cape Distance Pattern

    Kimberley, Upington, Springbok, Kuruman and De Aar are separated by long distances. Towns often function as service points for mining areas, farms, river corridors and national roads rather than as parts of one continuous urban belt.

    Current and Former Place Names

    Official names should lead map labels, while former names remain useful for historical records and search recognition. The February 2026 Government Gazette introduced four official Eastern Cape names, including three towns or cities used on this page.

    Official geographical names published on 6 February 2026
    Current Official Name Previous Name Feature Type Administrative Area
    Robert Sobukwe Graaff-Reinet Town Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District
    Bishop Limba Adendorp Village Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District
    Xamdeboo Aberdeen Town Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District
    KuGompo City East London City Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality

    Earlier Eastern Cape Changes

    • Gqeberha replaced Port Elizabeth as the official city name.
    • Kariega replaced Uitenhage.
    • Qonce replaced King William’s Town.
    • Makhanda replaced Grahamstown.

    Names Common on Older Maps

    • Mbombela may appear as Nelspruit.
    • eMalahleni may appear as Witbank.
    • Polokwane may appear as Pietersburg.
    • Mthatha may appear as Umtata.
    • Mahikeng may appear as Mafikeng.
    Map naming rule: the present official name is used as the main label. A former name is retained only as supporting context and is not presented as having equal official status.

    Map Data Notes

    What Is Reliable

    • South Africa has nine provinces.
    • The national capital functions are assigned to Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein.
    • The local-government count is 257 municipalities: 8 metropolitan, 44 district and 205 local.
    • The provincial chart uses Statistics South Africa’s 2025 mid-year estimate series.
    • The four 2026 Eastern Cape names are taken from Government Gazette No. 54101.

    What May Vary

    • City population totals vary with the boundary used.
    • A main place is not always equivalent to a municipality or continuous urban area.
    • Coordinates are approximate centre points and may differ slightly across gazetteers.
    • Older map tiles, road signs and address databases may retain former place names.
    • Small settlements are omitted from the default point layer to preserve map clarity.
    Best use of this map: locating major cities, provincial seats, regional towns, metro relationships and broad settlement corridors. Municipal boundary files should be used for legal, electoral, cadastral or service-delivery analysis.

    Sources and Reference Data

    South Africa Map FAQ

    What are the three capitals of South Africa?

    Pretoria is the administrative capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. The Constitutional Court is located in Johannesburg.

    What is the largest city in South Africa?

    Johannesburg is generally treated as the country’s largest major urban centre. Exact rankings depend on whether a source measures a named settlement, metropolitan municipality, continuous built-up area or wider urban agglomeration.

    How many provinces does South Africa have?

    South Africa has nine provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West and Western Cape.

    How many municipalities are there in South Africa?

    There are 257 municipalities: 8 metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.

    Are cities and municipalities the same?

    No. A city or town is a settlement, while a municipality is a government area. One municipality may include several cities, towns, townships, villages and rural zones.

    Why do older South Africa maps use different city names?

    Several places have received new official names. Current examples include KuGompo City, Robert Sobukwe and Xamdeboo in 2026, together with earlier changes such as Gqeberha, Kariega, Qonce, Makhanda, Mbombela and eMalahleni.