eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is one of South Africa’s eight metropolitan municipalities, governing 2 556 square kilometres of KwaZulu-Natal with no district municipality above it.
The essentials
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| MDB code | ETH |
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Population | 4 239 901 |
| Households | 1 122 738 |
| Area | 2 556 km2 |
| People per km2 | 1 658.8 |
| Council seats | 222 |
| Parties in council | 26 |
| Governing party | ANC/EFF Coalition |
| Executive mayor | Cyril Xaba |
Money
In its most recent audited year eThekwini reported R58.5 billion in operating revenue against R61.2 billion in expenditure, an operating deficit of R2.7 billion. Its audit outcome was recorded as financially unqualified.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Financial health grade | C | Fair |
| Score out of 100 | 56.5 | Ranked 2 of 8 metros |
| Operating margin | -4.7% | Operating costs exceeded revenue |
| Current ratio | 1.07:1 | Short-term assets cover short-term bills |
| Months of cash | 4.9 | At least a month of operating cover |
| Irregular spending | 7.4% | Share of expenditure flagged by the Auditor-General |
Household services
| Service | eThekwini | All 8 metros average |
|---|---|---|
| Piped water inside dwelling | 69.8% | 71.6% |
| Flush toilet connected to sewerage | 80.4% | 85.6% |
| Electricity for lighting | 98.5% | 95.1% |
| Weekly refuse removal | 80.7% | 81.3% |
How it compares with the other metros
eThekwini ranks 2 of the eight metropolitan municipalities on financial health. Ranked against all 257 municipalities in the country, it sits in the middle band.
| Metro | Grade | Score | Operating margin | Months of cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | B | 81.1 | 4.6% | 3.6 |
| eThekwini | C | 56.5 | -4.7% | 4.9 |
| Nelson Mandela Bay | D | 43.2 | -9.0% | 2.7 |
| City of Johannesburg | E | 38.9 | -3.4% | 1.5 |
| City of Ekurhuleni | E | 38.7 | -4.8% | -3.4 |
| Buffalo City | E | 38.6 | -18.1% | 5.2 |
| Mangaung | E | 34.8 | -10.8% | 9.7 |
| City of Tshwane | E | 27.8 | 2.3% | -4.8 |
What the figures suggest
eThekwini spent more on day-to-day operations than it collected, an operating deficit of R2.7 billion. A deficit has to be funded from somewhere, usually by delaying payments to creditors or drawing down cash. Cash cover exceeds three months, comfortably above the level National Treasury regards as adequate. Short-term assets cover short-term obligations.
Who runs it
The council has 222 seats across 26 parties, and is governed by ANC/EFF Coalition. The executive mayor is Cyril Xaba of the ANC. All of these positions are contested at the local government elections on 4 November 2026.
In context
eThekwini is one of 54 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal. See the full eThekwini profile for contact details, the complete council, five years of audited figures and published documents, or put it beside another municipality in the comparison tool.
Common questions
How many people live in eThekwini?
Census 2022 recorded 4 239 901 residents across 2 556 square kilometres, which works out to 1 658.8 people per square kilometre.
What is eThekwini’s annual budget?
It reported R61.2 billion in operating expenditure and R58.5 billion in operating revenue in its most recent audited year.
Who is the mayor of eThekwini?
Cyril Xaba of the ANC. The full council and senior management are listed on the eThekwini profile, which is updated as appointments change.
Figures on this page come from National Treasury, Statistics South Africa and the Auditor-General, as set out in the sources and methodology. Read the methodology