Compare municipalities
Put up to four municipalities side by side across their finances, service delivery and demographics. Where one measure is clearly better than another, the strongest and weakest are marked.
Profile
Statistics South Africa, Census 2022, and the Municipal Demarcation Board
| Measure | City of Johannesburg JHB · Gauteng | Cape Town CPT · Western Cape | eThekwini ETH · KwaZulu-Natal | City of Tshwane TSH · Gauteng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4 803 262 | 4 772 846 | 4 239 901 | 4 040 315 |
| Area | 1 643 km² | 2 441 km² | 2 556 km² | 6 298 km² |
| People per square kilometre | 2 923.5 | 1 955.3 | 1 658.8 | 641.5 |
| Households | 1 841 917 | 1 452 845 | 1 122 738 | 1 322 252 |
| Average household size | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
| Council seats | 270 | 231 | 222 | 214 |
| Governing party | ANC/EFF/PA Coalition | DA | ANC/EFF Coalition | DA/ActionSA/FF Plus/ACDP/UDM/COPE Coalition |
Financial health
National Treasury audited outcomes and the Auditor-General
| Measure | City of Johannesburg JHB · Gauteng | Cape Town CPT · Western Cape | eThekwini ETH · KwaZulu-Natal | City of Tshwane TSH · Gauteng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial health grade | E | B | C | E |
| Score out of 100 | 38.9 | 81.1 strongest of those compared | 56.5 | 27.8 weakest of those compared |
| Audit outcome | Qualified audit | Financially unqualified | Financially unqualified | Qualified audit |
| Total revenue | R76.9 bn | R67.5 bn | R58.5 bn | R48.1 bn |
| Total expenditure | R79.5 bn | R64.4 bn | R61.2 bn | R46.9 bn |
| Operating surplus or deficit | -R2.6 bn | R3.1 bn | -R2.7 bn | R1.1 bn |
| Operating margin | -3.4% | 4.6% strongest of those compared | -4.7% weakest of those compared | 2.3% |
| Current ratio | 0.65:1 | 1.70:1 strongest of those compared | 1.07:1 | 0.34:1 weakest of those compared |
| Months of cash on hand | 1.5 | 3.6 | 4.9 strongest of those compared | -4.8 weakest of those compared |
| Irregular spending, share of expenditure | 6.0% | 1.4% strongest of those compared | 7.4% | 11.0% weakest of those compared |
Household services
Statistics South Africa, Census 2022. Share of households with access.
| Measure | City of Johannesburg JHB · Gauteng | Cape Town CPT · Western Cape | eThekwini ETH · KwaZulu-Natal | City of Tshwane TSH · Gauteng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piped water inside the dwelling | 77.1% | 85.4% strongest of those compared | 69.8% weakest of those compared | 71.3% |
| Flush toilet connected to sewerage | 93.0% | 93.4% strongest of those compared | 80.4% weakest of those compared | 81.5% |
| Electricity for lighting | 94.1% | 96.7% | 98.5% strongest of those compared | 91.8% weakest of those compared |
| Weekly refuse removal | 90.5% strongest of those compared | 90.2% | 80.7% weakest of those compared | 81.0% |
| Formal dwellings | 89.8% strongest of those compared | 87.5% | 89.2% | 86.3% weakest of those compared |
People
Statistics South Africa, Census 2022
| Measure | City of Johannesburg JHB · Gauteng | Cape Town CPT · Western Cape | eThekwini ETH · KwaZulu-Natal | City of Tshwane TSH · Gauteng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population under 15 | 21.9% | 22.4% | 21.0% | 23.0% |
| Population 15 to 64 | 73.1% | 70.9% | 72.2% | 70.9% |
| Population over 65 | 5.0% | 6.7% | 6.8% | 6.1% |
| Dependency ratio per 100 | 36.8 strongest of those compared | 41.0 weakest of those compared | 38.4 | 41.0 weakest of those compared |
| No schooling, aged 20 and over | 3.5% | 1.9% strongest of those compared | 4.4% weakest of those compared | 3.9% |
| Higher education, aged 20 and over | 15.0% | 20.0% | 12.9% weakest of those compared | 22.2% strongest of those compared |
Marked values show the strongest and weakest only where one direction is clearly better. Population, area and rand amounts are never marked: being larger is not being better, and a small municipality can run a modest deficit that is far worse for its size than a metro's larger one. Ratios and percentages carry those judgements instead.