List of municipalities in South Africa

This is a list of municipalities of South Africa. The largest metropolitan areas are governed by metropolitan municipalities, while the rest of the country is divided into district municipalities, each of which consists of several local municipalities.

Since the boundary reform at the time of the municipal election of 3 August 2016 there are 8 metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.

Metropolitan municipalities

Name Code Province Seat Area Population(2022) Pop. densitykm2 sq miper km2 per sq mi Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality BUF Eastern Cape East London 975,255 City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality CPT Western Cape Cape Town 4,772,846 City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality EKU Gauteng Germiston 4,066,691 City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality JHB Gauteng Johannesburg 4,803,262 City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality TSH Gauteng Pretoria 4,040,315 eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality ETH KwaZulu-Natal Durban 4,239,901 Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality MAN Free State Bloemfontein 811,431 Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality NMA Eastern Cape Gqeberha 1,190,496

District municipalities [{ "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "DC9(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc10(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc12(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc13(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc14(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc15(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc44(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc37(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc38(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc39(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc40(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc42(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc48(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc16(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc18(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc19(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc20(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc30(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc31(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc32(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc33(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc34(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc35(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc36(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc47(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc33(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc47(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc21(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc22(2026).map" },

{ "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc23(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc24(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc25(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc26(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc27(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc28(2026).map" },

{ "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc29(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc43(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc1(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc2(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc3(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc4(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc5(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc6(2026).map" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc7(2026).map" } , { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc8(2026).map" } , { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc9(2026).map" } , { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Dc45(2026).map" } ]

For comparison purposes the metropolitan municipalities are also included in this list.

Name Code Province Seat Area Population(2022) Pop. densitykm2 sq miper km2 per sq mi Alfred Nzo District Municipality DC44 Eastern Cape Mount Ayliff 936,462 Amajuba District Municipality DC25 KwaZulu-Natal Newcastle 687,408 Amathole District Municipality DC12 Eastern Cape East London 871,601 Bojanala District Municipality DC37 North West Rustenburg 1,624,428 Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality BUF Eastern Cape East London 975,255 Cape Winelands District Municipality Western Cape Worcester 862,703 Capricorn District Municipality DC35 Limpopo Polokwane 1,447,103 Central Karoo District Municipality Western Cape Beaufort West 102,173 Chris Hani District Municipality DC13 Eastern Cape Queenstown 828,387 City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality CPT Western Cape Cape Town 4,772,846 City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality EKU Gauteng Germiston 4,066,691 City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality JHB Gauteng Johannesburg 4,803,262 City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality TSH Gauteng Pretoria 4,040,315 Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality DC40 North West Klerksdorp 734,203 Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality DC39 North West Vryburg 508,192 Ehlanzeni District Municipality DC32 Mpumalanga Nelspruit 2,270,897 eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality ETH KwaZulu-Natal Durban 4,239,901 Fezile Dabi District Municipality DC20 Free State Sasolburg 509,912 Frances Baard District Municipality Northern Cape Kimberley 434,343 Garden Route District Municipality Western Cape George 838,457 Gert Sibande District Municipality DC30 Mpumalanga Ermelo 1,283,459 Harry Gwala District Municipality DC43 KwaZulu-Natal Ixopo 563,893 iLembe District Municipality DC29 KwaZulu-Natal KwaDukuza 782,661 Joe Gqabi District Municipality DC14 Eastern Cape Barkly East 393,048 John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality DC45 Northern Cape Kuruman 272,454 King Cetshwayo District Municipality DC28 KwaZulu-Natal Richards Bay 1,021,344 Lejweleputswa District Municipality DC18 Free State Welkom 679,746 Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality MAN Free State Bloemfontein 811,431 Mopani District Municipality DC33 Limpopo Giyani 1,372,873 Namakwa District Municipality Northern Cape Springbok 148,935 Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality NMA Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth 1,190,496 Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality DC38 North West Mahikeng 937,723 Nkangala District Municipality DC31 Mpumalanga Middelburg 1,588,968 OR Tambo District Municipality DC15 Eastern Cape Mthatha 1,501,702 Overberg District Municipality Western Cape Bredasdorp 359,446 Pixley ka Seme District Municipality Northern Cape De Aar 216,589 Sarah Baartman District Municipality DC10 Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth 533,253 Sedibeng District Municipality DC42 Gauteng Vereeniging 1,190,688 Sekhukhune District Municipality DC47 Limpopo Groblersdal 1,336,805 Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality DC19 Free State Phuthaditjhaba 831,421 Ugu District Municipality DC21 KwaZulu-Natal Port Shepstone 773,402 uMgungundlovu District Municipality DC22 KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg 1,235,715 uMkhanyakude District Municipality DC27 KwaZulu-Natal Mkuze 738,437 uMzinyathi District Municipality DC24 KwaZulu-Natal Dundee 649,261 uThukela District Municipality DC23 KwaZulu-Natal Ladysmith 789,092 Vhembe District Municipality DC34 Limpopo Thohoyandou 1,653,077 Waterberg District Municipality DC36 Limpopo Modimolle 762,862 West Coast District Municipality Western Cape Moorreesburg 497,394 West Rand District Municipality DC48 Gauteng Randfontein 998,466 Xhariep District Municipality DC16 Free State Trompsburg 131,901 ZF Mgcawu District Municipality Northern Cape Upington 283,624 Zululand District Municipality DC26 KwaZulu-Natal Ulundi 942,794

Local municipalities For comparison purposes the metropolitan municipalities are also included in this list.