South Africa is one of the largest countries in Africa, the 9th largest to be exact. In the world, it settles at the 25th position on the list.
The country has a population of about 58 million and cities known around the world for their culture and appealing beauty.
South Africa has large cities, 10 of which we would be identifying in this article. Most of these cities are in urban areas as those areas have the highest population.
Below is a list of the top 10 largest cities in South Africa:
1. Johannesburg
In terms of population, this is considered to be the largest city in South Africa. Johannesburg has a whopping population of around 5.6 million people. The city is found in the Gauteng province, which is the largest in the country considering the population.
Johannesburg is home to a couple of interesting attractions like the Apartheid Museum, Mandela House, Gold Reef City among others. It tops the list of largest cities in South Africa.
2. Cape Town
Second on the list of the largest cities in South Africa is the popular Cape Town, sometimes called the Mother City. It is also the oldest city in the country and has a population of about 4.5 million people. It is referred to as the capital of the legislature because it houses the Parliament of South Africa.
Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It also has some side attractions like Table Mountain Park, Boulders Beach, and Cliffton Beach.
3. Durban
This is known to be the busiest city in South Africa and the largest in KwaZulu-Natal. Durban has a population of around 3.4 million peoples. It houses the popular Mose Mabhida Stadium. It also has the busiest port in the whole of South Africa.
With all these, Durban makes the list of the top ten largest cities in South Africa. The city is an amazing place to visit, with nice weather, cultural mix, and amazing beaches.
4. Pretoria
With a population of around 2.4 people, Pretoria finds itself on the list of largest cities in South Africa. The city was named after Andries Pretorius.
He assisted in creating the South African Republic. The city has several international embassies as well as museums and monuments. All cities in the world, it has the second-largest number of embassies.
5. Soweto
Soweto is located at the edge of Johannesburg and was created back in the 1930s. The name of this city was coined from the first two letters of “South Western Township”. It has a population of about 1.5 million people and is known to be the most populous black urban residential area in the country.
Soweto is also one of the largest cities in South Africa and home to a diverse population from various ethnicities and backgrounds.
6. Port Elizabeth
This city can be found in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. It is also known as the friendly city. The city was named after Elizabeth, the wife of Sir. Rufane Donkin. It has a population of about 1.2 million people. Port Elizabeth also has a couple of attractive beaches.
7. Benoni
This is located in the Gauteng province and is populated by about 729,000 people. The city was established in 1881 and then, it was regarded to be one of the richest gold reefs to be ever found.
8. Pietermaritzburg
This is located in the KwaZulu-Natal province and was established in 1839. It has a population of about 521,000 people. It used to be known for the production of clothing, textile, and footwear. It is currently number 8 on the list of largest cities in South Africa.
9. Tembisa
This is also located in the Gauteng province in South Africa. It has a population of around 463,000 people. The city was founded back in 1957. It has about four train stations and a couple of side attractions like Imbizo and Caprivi.
10. East London
Seating on the tenth position on the list of South Africa’s largest cities is East London has a population of about 400, 000 people. It was established in 1847 and is found in the Eastern Cape Province.
