List of cities in South Africa by population
| Source | UN (World Urbanization Prospects 2018) |
| Date | 01 Apr 2024 |
| City | Population | Share (%) | Rank | Change | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | South Africa | World | Population | (%) | ||
| Johannesburg | 6,198,016 | 6,324,351 | 10.4 | 1 | 66 | 126,335 | 2.04 |
| Cape Town | 4,890,280 | 4,977,833 | 8.16 | 2 | 94 | 87,553 | 1.79 |
| Ekurhuleni | 4,118,327 | 4,190,832 | 6.87 | 3 | 120 | 72,505 | 1.76 |
| Durban (Ethekwini) | 3,228,003 | 3,262,128 | 5.35 | 4 | 164 | 34,125 | 1.06 |
| Pretoria | 2,818,100 | 2,889,899 | 4.74 | 5 | 196 | 71,799 | 2.55 |
| Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay) | 1,295,928 | 1,312,631 | 2.15 | 6 | 465 | 16,703 | 1.29 |
| West Rand | 934,341 | 947,734 | 1.55 | 7 | 677 | 13,393 | 1.43 |
| Soshanguve | 892,254 | 905,868 | 1.48 | 8 | 709 | 13,614 | 1.53 |
| Vereeniging | 793,927 | 802,900 | 1.32 | 9 | 788 | 8,973 | 1.13 |
| East London (Buffalo City) | 735,692 | 745,855 | 1.22 | 10 | 860 | 10,163 | 1.38 |
| Bloemfontein | 598,383 | 608,655 | 0.997 | 11 | 1049 | 10,272 | 1.72 |
| Rustenburg | 574,400 | 592,193 | 0.970 | 12 | 1089 | 17,793 | 3.10 |
| Pietermaritzburg (The Msunduzi) | 545,872 | 553,162 | 0.907 | 13 | 1175 | 7,290 | 1.34 |
| Witbank | 499,211 | 511,973 | 0.839 | 14 | 1264 | 12,762 | 2.56 |
| Polokwane | 479,251 | 493,951 | 0.809 | 15 | 1298 | 14,700 | 3.07 |