Municipal boundaries do not follow town names, and the name at the top of your bill is often not what you would expect. Places you think of as separate towns are frequently governed by one municipality, and municipalities are commonly named after a person or a river rather than the largest town in them.

The quickest way: search for your town

This site indexes 1 631 towns and settlements across all 257 municipalities. Type your town into the search box and the result names the municipality that governs it, with its switchboard number, address and website.

Use the map

The national map shows every municipality in the country. Select your province, then find the area you live in. Each shape links straight to the full profile.

Check your municipal bill

Your rates and services account is issued by the municipality itself, and its name appears at the top of the statement. If you rent and never see the bill, the municipality is whichever body collects rates for that address, and your landlord or managing agent will know.

Names that catch people out

  • Kimberley is governed by Sol Plaatje Local Municipality.
  • Soweto, Sandton, Randburg, Roodepoort and Midrand are all part of the City of Johannesburg.
  • Two municipalities are called Emalahleni, one in Mpumalanga and one in the Eastern Cape, several hundred kilometres apart.

Why it matters

The municipality is responsible for water and sanitation, refuse removal, municipal roads, storm water drainage, street lighting, building plan approval and local business licensing. It sets your property rates and issues your services account. When you report a fault, object to a valuation, apply to build, or vote in a local election, the municipality is the body you are dealing with, not the province and not national government.

Common questions

Is my municipality the same as my ward?

No. A ward is a subdivision within a municipality, and each ward elects one councillor. A large metro contains hundreds of wards. Your ward councillor is your first point of contact as a resident, while the municipality is the institution.

What if my town name appears twice?

Some place names repeat across the country. Check the province first, then the district, and the correct one becomes obvious. Where a settlement genuinely straddles a boundary, the address on your rates account settles it.

Who do I contact if Eskom supplies my electricity?

Where Eskom supplies your household directly rather than the municipality reselling it, electricity faults go to Eskom. Water, refuse, roads and sanitation remain municipal. Each profile records whether the municipality provides electricity itself.

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