Eastern Cape is served by 39 municipalities: 2 metropolitan, 6 district and 31 local. Together they cover 7 230 204 residents across 333 216 square kilometres.
7 230 204residents of Eastern Cape recorded in Census 2022, across 39 municipalities
Eastern Cape at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Municipalities | 39 |
| Metropolitan | 2 |
| District | 6 |
| Local | 31 |
| Population | 7 230 204 |
| Area | 333 216 km2 |
| Combined annual spending | R55.7 billion |
| Clean audits | 8 |
| Disclaimed audits | 2 |
| Coalition governed | 6 |
| Average financial health score | 49.7 |
Metropolitan municipalities
| Metro | Population | Expenditure | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo City | 975 255 | R12.1 billion | E |
| Nelson Mandela Bay | 1 190 496 | R19.0 billion | D |
District municipalities and what they cover
| District | Local municipalities | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred Nzo | Matatiele, Ntabankulu, Umzimvubu, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela | C |
| Amathole | Amahlathi, Great Kei, Mbhashe, Mnquma, Ngqushwa, Raymond Mhlaba | D |
| Chris Hani | Dr. A.B. Xuma, Emalahleni (EC), Enoch Mgijima, Vuyisile Mini, Inxuba Yethemba, Sakhisizwe | E |
| Joe Gqabi | Elundini, Senqu, Walter Sisulu | D |
| O R Tambo | Ngquza Hills, King Sabata Dalindyebo, Kumkani Mhlontlo, Nyandeni, Port St Johns | D |
| Sarah Baartman | Blue Crane Route, Dr Beyers Naude, Kouga, Kou-Kamma, Makana, Ndlambe, Sundays River Valley | B |
Largest municipalities by population
| Municipality | Population | Area km2 | People per km2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Mandela Bay | 1 190 496 | 1 957 | 608.3 |
| Buffalo City | 975 255 | 2 753 | 354.3 |
| King Sabata Dalindyebo | 476 558 | 3 019 | 157.9 |
| Ngquza Hills | 354 573 | 2 477 | 143.1 |
| Winnie Madikizela-Mandela | 350 000 | 2 415 | 144.9 |
| Nyandeni | 304 856 | 2 474 | 123.2 |
| Enoch Mgijima | 297 055 | 13 584 | 21.9 |
| Mbhashe | 240 020 | 3 303 | 72.7 |
| Mnquma | 232 993 | 3 137 | 74.3 |
| Matatiele | 225 562 | 4 352 | 51.8 |
Financial health across Eastern Cape
The strongest finances in the province belong to Senqu, scoring 82.0 out of 100 with a grade of B. The weakest are Makana at 12.9, a grade of F.
| Municipality | Type | Grade | Score | Audit outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senqu | Local | B | 82.0 | Clean audit |
| Umzimvubu | Local | B | 80.2 | Clean audit |
| Sarah Baartman | District | B | 79.9 | Clean audit |
| Mbhashe | Local | B | 79.1 | Financially unqualified |
| Winnie Madikizela-Mandela | Local | B | 76.6 | Financially unqualified |
| Ngquza Hills | Local | B | 76.5 | Qualified audit |
| Matatiele | Local | B | 70.5 | Qualified audit |
| Great Kei | Local | C | 69.9 | Clean audit |
| Kouga | Local | C | 69.4 | Clean audit |
| Mnquma | Local | C | 65.0 | Clean audit |
| Alfred Nzo | District | C | 62.5 | Qualified audit |
| Nyandeni | Local | C | 58.8 | Qualified audit |
| Emalahleni (EC) | Local | C | 58.1 | Financially unqualified |
| Ngqushwa | Local | D | 53.1 | Financially unqualified |
| Ntabankulu | Local | D | 51.6 | Clean audit |
| O R Tambo | District | D | 50.6 | Financially unqualified |
| Amahlathi | Local | D | 50.4 | Financially unqualified |
| Vuyisile Mini | Local | D | 49.6 | Financially unqualified |
| Raymond Mhlaba | Local | D | 48.9 | Qualified audit |
| Elundini | Local | D | 47.6 | Financially unqualified |
| Joe Gqabi | District | D | 46.9 | Clean audit |
| Kumkani Mhlontlo | Local | D | 45.6 | Qualified audit |
| Amathole | District | D | 44.6 | Qualified audit |
| Nelson Mandela Bay | Metropolitan | D | 43.2 | Qualified audit |
| King Sabata Dalindyebo | Local | D | 40.2 | Financially unqualified |
| Sakhisizwe | Local | E | 39.8 | Financially unqualified |
| Sundays River Valley | Local | E | 39.6 | Disclaimer of audit |
| Port St Johns | Local | E | 39.4 | Qualified audit |
| Buffalo City | Metropolitan | E | 38.6 | Qualified audit |
| Dr. A.B. Xuma | Local | E | 38.0 | Financially unqualified |
| Ndlambe | Local | E | 37.6 | Financially unqualified |
| Chris Hani | District | E | 35.4 | Qualified audit |
| Blue Crane Route | Local | E | 32.4 | Qualified audit |
| Dr Beyers Naude | Local | E | 32.2 | Qualified audit |
| Enoch Mgijima | Local | E | 30.0 | Qualified audit |
| Kou-Kamma | Local | E | 26.0 | Qualified audit |
| Inxuba Yethemba | Local | F | 18.2 | Qualified audit |
| Walter Sisulu | Local | F | 15.8 | Qualified audit |
| Makana | Local | F | 12.9 | Disclaimer of audit |
Household services
Across the 33 metropolitan and local municipalities in Eastern Cape, an average of 43.4% of households have piped water inside the dwelling.
| Municipality | Piped water inside | Electricity | Weekly refuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Mandela Bay | 82.3% | 96.5% | 88.8% |
| Buffalo City | 65.7% | 94.6% | 71.3% |
| King Sabata Dalindyebo | 42.4% | 95.1% | 43.3% |
| Ngquza Hills | 17.6% | 93.2% | 18.0% |
| Winnie Madikizela-Mandela | 15.8% | 93.3% | 16.0% |
| Nyandeni | 23.7% | 93.0% | 23.1% |
| Enoch Mgijima | 55.0% | 96.5% | 40.9% |
| Mbhashe | 26.7% | 90.5% | 26.8% |
| Mnquma | 33.3% | 94.9% | 32.3% |
| Matatiele | 28.8% | 84.5% | 26.6% |
| Umzimvubu | 24.7% | 89.9% | 24.8% |
| Kumkani Mhlontlo | 26.9% | 95.7% | 25.9% |
Browse every municipality in the province, with full contact details and five years of figures, on the Eastern Cape page.
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