Total expenditure covers everything a municipality spends on operations in a year: salaries, bulk purchases of electricity and water, repairs, depreciation and interest.
R611.4 billioncombined annual operating expenditure across all 257 municipalities
| Municipality | Province | Expenditure | Population | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Johannesburg | Gauteng | R79.5 billion | 4 803 262 | E |
| Cape Town | Western Cape | R64.4 billion | 4 772 846 | B |
| eThekwini | KwaZulu-Natal | R61.2 billion | 4 239 901 | C |
| City of Ekurhuleni | Gauteng | R57.3 billion | 4 066 691 | E |
| City of Tshwane | Gauteng | R46.9 billion | 4 040 315 | E |
| Nelson Mandela Bay | Eastern Cape | R19.0 billion | 1 190 496 | D |
| Buffalo City | Eastern Cape | R12.1 billion | 975 255 | E |
| Mangaung | Free State | R11.9 billion | 811 431 | E |
| Emfuleni | Gauteng | R11.0 billion | 945 650 | F |
| Msunduzi | KwaZulu-Natal | R8.9 billion | 817 725 | D |
| Emalahleni (MP) | Mpumalanga | R7.0 billion | 434 238 | E |
| Rustenburg | North West | R6.7 billion | 562 031 | D |
| Polokwane | Limpopo | R6.3 billion | 843 459 | C |
| City of Matlosana | North West | R5.9 billion | 431 231 | E |
| uMhlathuze | KwaZulu-Natal | R5.5 billion | 412 075 | C |
| Matjhabeng | Free State | R5.1 billion | 439 034 | F |
| City of Mbombela | Mpumalanga | R5.1 billion | 818 925 | E |
| Mogale City | Gauteng | R4.6 billion | 438 217 | D |
| Govan Mbeki | Mpumalanga | R4.3 billion | 310 117 | E |
| Rand West City | Gauteng | R3.7 billion | 334 773 | E |
Spending is heavily concentrated. The largest few municipalities account for a substantial share of all municipal expenditure in the country, which is why their financial health matters well beyond their own boundaries.
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