Density is the single figure that best explains why municipalities differ. Piping water to a dense suburb and to a settlement scattered across thousands of square kilometres are different problems with different costs per household.

Most dense

Municipality Province People per km2 Population Area km2
City of Johannesburg Gauteng 2 923.5 4 803 262 1 643
City of Ekurhuleni Gauteng 2 058.0 4 066 691 1 976
Cape Town Western Cape 1 955.3 4 772 846 2 441
eThekwini KwaZulu-Natal 1 658.8 4 239 901 2 556
Msunduzi KwaZulu-Natal 1 088.8 817 725 751
Emfuleni Gauteng 978.9 945 650 966
City of Tshwane Gauteng 641.5 4 040 315 6 298
Nelson Mandela Bay Eastern Cape 608.3 1 190 496 1 957
KwaDukuza KwaZulu-Natal 439.1 324 912 740
Buffalo City Eastern Cape 354.3 975 255 2 753

Least dense

Municipality Province People per km2 Population Area km2
Karoo Hoogland Northern Cape 0.39 11 691 30 230
Khai-Ma Northern Cape 0.54 8 510 15 715
Hantam Northern Cape 0.57 22 281 39 085
Kareeberg Northern Cape 0.62 10 961 17 701
Ubuntu Northern Cape 0.78 15 836 20 393
Kamiesberg Northern Cape 1.06 15 130 14 208
Laingsburg Western Cape 1.29 11 366 8 784
Tsantsabane Northern Cape 1.69 30 969 18 289
Siyathemba Northern Cape 1.84 27 102 14 704
Renosterberg Northern Cape 1.96 10 843 5 529

The largest by area

Municipality Province Area km2 Population
Dawid Kruiper Northern Cape 44 399 125 744
Hantam Northern Cape 39 085 22 281
Karoo Hoogland Northern Cape 30 230 11 691
Dr Beyers Naude Eastern Cape 28 653 101 001
!Kai! Garib Northern Cape 26 236 85 104
Kagisano-Molopo North West 23 827 112 130
Beaufort West Western Cape 21 917 72 972
Ubuntu Northern Cape 20 393 15 836
Joe Morolong Northern Cape 20 180 125 420
Tsantsabane Northern Cape 18 289 30 969

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