South Africa
AfricaCapital: Johannesburg
2026 population
63.1M
Rank #23 globally
Area
1.2M km²
Metros tracked
22
56% of population in metros
Composite score
106.9
Rank #22 globally
22 tracked metros
| Rank | Metro | Population | Score | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #49 | Johannesburg★ Capital▲ Largest | 15.1M | 46.2 | Major Metro |
| #108 | Cape Town | 5.2M | 26.4 | Major Metro |
| #198 | Durban | 4.6M | 13.7 | Regional Hub |
| #403 | Port Elizabeth | 1.2M | 5.9 | Established City |
| #624 | Polokwane | 843K | 3.3 | Emerging City |
| #842 | Bloemfontein | 811K | 2.0 | Emerging City |
| #1045 | Mbombela | 819K | 1.4 | Emerging City |
| #1170 | Rustenburg | 562K | 1.2 | Emerging City |
| #1196 | Richards Bay | 412K | 1.1 | Emerging City |
| #1208 | Siyabuswa | 325K | 1.1 | Emerging City |
| #1233 | East London | 975K | 1.1 | Emerging City |
| #1276 | Jeffreys Bay | 107K | 1.0 | Emerging City |
| #1991 | Welkom | 439K | 0.4 | Local City |
| #2105 | George (SA) | 295K | 0.3 | Local City |
| #2127 | Kimberley | 270K | 0.3 | Local City |
| #2187 | Potchefstroom | 213K | 0.3 | Local City |
| #2600 | Pietermaritzburg | 818K | 0.3 | Local City |
| #2926 | Thohoyandou | 576K | 0.2 | Local City |
| #2947 | Newcastle (SA) | 508K | 0.2 | Local City |
| #2985 | Witbank | 435K | 0.1 | Local City |
| #2988 | Klerksdorp | 431K | 0.1 | Local City |
| #3417 | Bethlehem (SA) | 130K | 0.0 | Local City |