City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is one of South Africa’s eight metropolitan municipalities, governing 1 976 square kilometres of Gauteng with no district municipality above it.
The essentials
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| MDB code | EKU |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Population | 4 066 691 |
| Households | 1 421 003 |
| Area | 1 976 km2 |
| People per km2 | 2 058.0 |
| Council seats | 224 |
| Parties in council | 16 |
| Governing party | ANC/EFF/AIC Coalition |
| Executive mayor | Nkosindiphile Xhakaza |
Money
In its most recent audited year City of Ekurhuleni reported R54.7 billion in operating revenue against R57.3 billion in expenditure, an operating deficit of R2.6 billion. Its audit outcome was recorded as qualified audit.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Financial health grade | E | Distressed |
| Score out of 100 | 38.7 | Ranked 5 of 8 metros |
| Operating margin | -4.8% | Operating costs exceeded revenue |
| Current ratio | 0.69:1 | Short-term bills exceed short-term assets |
| Months of cash | -3.4 | Less than a month of cover |
| Irregular spending | 0.2% | Share of expenditure flagged by the Auditor-General |
Household services
| Service | City of Ekurhuleni | All 8 metros average |
|---|---|---|
| Piped water inside dwelling | 73.8% | 71.6% |
| Flush toilet connected to sewerage | 91.2% | 85.6% |
| Electricity for lighting | 93.1% | 95.1% |
| Weekly refuse removal | 88.6% | 81.3% |
How it compares with the other metros
City of Ekurhuleni ranks 5 of the eight metropolitan municipalities on financial health. Ranked against all 257 municipalities in the country, it sits in the lowest 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
City of Ekurhuleni spent more on day-to-day operations than it collected, an operating deficit of R2.6 billion. A deficit has to be funded from somewhere, usually by delaying payments to creditors or drawing down cash. Cash cover is below one month, which leaves no buffer for an unexpected cost. Short-term obligations exceed short-term assets, which is a common early indicator of cash-flow strain.
Who runs it
The council has 224 seats across 16 parties, and is governed by ANC/EFF/AIC Coalition. The executive mayor is Nkosindiphile Xhakaza of the ANC. All of these positions are contested at the local government elections on 4 November 2026.
In context
City of Ekurhuleni is one of 11 municipalities in Gauteng. See the full City of Ekurhuleni 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 City of Ekurhuleni?
Census 2022 recorded 4 066 691 residents across 1 976 square kilometres, which works out to 2 058.0 people per square kilometre.
What is City of Ekurhuleni’s annual budget?
It reported R57.3 billion in operating expenditure and R54.7 billion in operating revenue in its most recent audited year.
Who is the mayor of City of Ekurhuleni?
Nkosindiphile Xhakaza of the ANC. The full council and senior management are listed on the City of Ekurhuleni 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