In 2023, over 68.82 percent of South Africa's total population lived in urban areas and cities. Urbanization defines the share of urban population from the total population of a country. Just like urbanization, the population density within the nation has risen, reaching 46 inhabitants per square kilometer, meaning more people are sharing less space. Many opportunities for work and leisure can be found in the urban locations of South Africa, and as such the five largest municipalities each now have over three million residents. Facing its economic strengths and drawbacks South Africa is a leading services destination, as it is one of the most industrialized countries in the continent of Africa. The majority of the country’s gross domestic product comes from the services sector, where more than 70 percent of the employed population works. Unemployment is seen as a critical indicator of the state of an economy, and for South Africa, a high rate of over 25 percent could indicate a need for a shift in economic policy. As of 2017, South Africa was one of the twenty countries with the highest rate of unemployment in the world.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Urban Population Percent Of Total

South Africa ZA: Urban Population Growth data was reported at 2.021 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.090 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Urban Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 2.837 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.548 % in 1960 and a record low of 1.930 % in 2008. South Africa ZA: Urban Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Urban Population

South Africa ZA: Urban Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 65.850 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 65.341 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Urban Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 51.239 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65.850 % in 2017 and a record low of 46.619 % in 1960. South Africa ZA: Urban Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Historical dataset showing South Africa urban population by year from 1960 to 2023.

In 2022, Mozambique had the highest share of its urban population living in slums or informal settlements within Southern Africa, with 55 percent. Zimbabwe followed close behind with a share of 54.9 percent. On the other hand, Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) had the lowest share within the region at 17 percent.

South Africa: Percent urban population: The latest value from 2024 is 69.3 percent, an increase from 68.82 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 61.70 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for South Africa from 1960 to 2024 is 54.94 percent. The minimum value, 46.62 percent, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 69.3 percent was recorded in 2024.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Urban Population Growth Annual Percent

In 2024, Gabon had the highest urbanization rate in Africa, with over 90 percent of the population living in urban areas. Libya and Djibouti followed at around 82 percent and 79 percent, respectively. On the other hand, many countries on the continent had the majority of the population residing in rural areas. As of 2023, urbanization in Malawi, Rwanda, Niger, and Burundi was below 20 percent. A growing urban population On average, the African urbanization rate stood at approximately 45 percent in 2023. The number of people living in urban areas has been growing steadily since 2000 and is forecast to increase further in the coming years. The urbanization process is particularly rapid in Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania. In these countries, the urban population grew by over five percent in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, in 39 countries on the continent, the urban population growth was over three percent. The most populous cities in Africa Africa’s largest city is Lagos in Nigeria, counting around nine million people. It is followed by Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cairo in Egypt, each with over seven million inhabitants. Moreover, other cities on the continent are growing rapidly. The population of Bujumbura in Burundi will increase by 123 percent between 2020 and 2035, registering the highest growth rate on the continent. Other fast-growing cities are Zinder in Niger, Kampala in Uganda, and Kabinda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

South Africa ZA: Urban Population data was reported at 37,348,247.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 36,601,070.000 Person for 2016. South Africa ZA: Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 18,629,147.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37,348,247.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 8,138,211.000 Person in 1960. South Africa ZA: Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Sum;

This line chart displays urban population living in areas where elevation is below 5 meters (% of total population) by date using the aggregation average, weighted by population in South Africa. The data is about countries per year.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Population In The Largest City Percent Of Urban Population

South Africa is the sixth African country with the largest population, counting approximately 60.5 million individuals as of 2021. In 2023, the largest city in South Africa was Cape Town. The capital of Western Cape counted 3.4 million inhabitants, whereas South Africa's second largest city was Durban (eThekwini Municipality), with 3.1 million inhabitants. Note that when observing the number of inhabitants by municipality, Johannesburg is counted as largest city/municipality of South Africa.

From four provinces to nine provinces

Before Nelson Mandela became president in 1994, the country had four provinces, Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange Free State, and Transvaal and 10 “homelands” (also called Bantustans). The four larger regions were for the white population while the homelands for its black population. This system was dismantled following the new constitution of South Africa in 1996 and reorganized into nine provinces. Currently, Gauteng is the most populated province with around 15.9 million people residing there, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 11.68 million inhabiting the province. As of 2022, Black African individuals were almost 81 percent of the total population in the country, while colored citizens followed amounting to around 5.34 million.

A diverse population

Although the majority of South Africans are identified as Black, the country’s population is far from homogenous, with different ethnic groups usually residing in the different “homelands”. This can be recognizable through the various languages used to communicate between the household members and externally. IsiZulu was the most common language of the nation with around a quarter of the population using it in- and outside of households. IsiXhosa and Afrikaans ranked second and third with roughly 15 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

This horizontal bar chart displays urban population (people) by region using the aggregation sum in South Africa. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

South Africa ZA: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 26.327 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 26.291 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 23.218 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.327 % in 2017 and a record low of 18.806 % in 1991. South Africa ZA: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted Average;

Part of the British Academy Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research funding programme. Funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). We are one of nine research projects bringing together novel, interdisciplinary ideas from across the humanities and social sciences in collaboration with the natural, medical and engineering sciences to propose solutions to international challenges past, present and future.• Theme of ‘What is a good city?’• 2-year projects with interdisciplinary and international teams• Projects “strengthen understanding of international challenges … and engage with questions concerning the relationship between expertise, public understanding and policy delivery internationally.” (British Academy)This research project investigated the challenge of food insecurity in cities as experienced by migrant communities and explored the role of traditional foods in well-being. The global population is increasingly urbanised, with Sub-Saharan Africa experiencing the fastest rate of urban population growth. South Africa is a centre for regional migration, with Johannesburg being the destination for the largest proportion of both within-country and international migrants. The project focused on two migrant groups in Johannesburg - South African rural-to-urban migrants and international regional migrants. Urban populations are dependent on food markets for daily sustenance and nutrition, hence access to affordable, acceptable and nutritious food through markets must be prioritised by cities. By identifying the drivers of food choice in urban migrant and immigrant populations around traditional foods, barriers to consumption and engaging with those involved in knowledge in urban planning and development, this project aimed to go some way towards tackling the problem of urban food insecurity and malnutrition.

This dataset is about countries per year in South Africa. It has 64 rows. It features 4 columns: country, urban population living in areas where elevation is below 5 meters , and birth rate.

This horizontal bar chart displays urban population living in areas where elevation is below 5 meters (% of total population) by ISO 3 country code using the aggregation average, weighted by population in South Africa. The data is about countries per year.

This dataset is about countries per year in South Africa. It has 64 rows. It features 4 columns: country, country full name, and urban population living in areas where elevation is below 5 meters .