The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is Gauteng’s largest metro, with a 2022 census population of 4,803,262 across 1,642.6 km². It stretches from Orange Farm in the south to Midrand in the north, with Johannesburg itself as the seat. The metro was created in its current single-tier form from eleven previously separate local authorities under the 2000 local government re-demarcation.
Suburbs and Townships in Johannesburg
Johannesburg is built from more than a dozen former townships and towns merged into one metro. The largest population centres:
| Place | Type |
|---|---|
| Johannesburg (CBD) | City centre |
| Soweto | Township cluster |
| Randburg | Town |
| Roodepoort | Town |
| Sandton | Business district |
| Midrand | Town |
| Diepsloot | Township |
| Alexandra | Township |
| Ivory Park | Township |
| Orange Farm | Township |
Full list of suburbs, sections and localities on record for the metro (alphabetical):
- Alexandra
- Bassonia
- Bedfordview
- Berea
- Blairgowrie
- Bramley
- Bruma
- Cresta
- Diepsloot
- Discovery
- Dobsonville
- Doornfontein
- Douglasdale
- Edenburg
- Emmarentia
- Fairland
- Ferndale
- Fourways
- Fordsburg
- Florida
- Glenanda
- Greenside
- Hillbrow
- Honeydew
- Houghton
- Ivory Park
- Jabulani
- Johannesburg CBD
- Kensington
- Kew
- Kliptown
- Kya Sand
- Lenasia
- Linden
- Lombardy East
- Maboneng
- Malvern
- Melrose
- Melville
- Midrand
- Modderfontein
- Mondeor
- Newtown
- Norwood
- Observatory
- Orange Farm
- Orange Grove
- Orlando
- Parkhurst
- Parktown
- Parkview
- Parkmore
- Poortje
- Randburg
- Randjesfontein
- Rivonia
- Robertsham
- Rosebank
- Roodepoort
- Sandton
- Sandringham
- Sophiatown
- Soweto
- Strubens Valley
- Sunninghill
- Sydenham
- Turffontein
- Waverley
- Weltevreden Park
- Westbury
- Windsor
- Woodmead
- Wynberg
- Yeoville
- Zola
- Zondi
Geography
Johannesburg sits on the Witwatersrand plateau at roughly 1,750 m above sea level, with no major river running through the built-up core. The metro shares borders with the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to the east, the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to the north, Mogale City Local Municipality to the west and Midvaal Local Municipality and Free State municipalities to the south.
Demographics
The metro’s population grew from 4,434,631 at the 2011 census to 4,803,262 at the 2022 census, a rise of about 8%. Density stands at roughly 2,920 people per km², among the highest in the country.
Economy and Local Life
Johannesburg is South Africa’s financial and commercial capital, anchored by the Sandton business district, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and a dense cluster of head offices, banks and mining-house administration. Manufacturing, retail and logistics also employ large numbers, alongside informal trade concentrated in the inner city and township markets. The city grew from the 1886 Witwatersrand gold rush, and although active mining within its boundaries has largely ended, its financial-services and corporate-headquarters role has outlasted the mines themselves. Soweto, the metro’s largest township, remains a major residential and cultural centre in its own right, with its own retail nodes and tourism draws around Vilakazi Street.
Getting There
The N1, N3 and N12 highways converge on the metro, along with the M1 city freeway. O.R. Tambo International Airport, the country’s busiest, lies just across the boundary in Ekurhuleni; Lanseria International Airport serves the northern suburbs. The Gautrain rapid rail links Sandton, Rosebank and the Johannesburg CBD to Pretoria and OR Tambo.
FAQ
What is the seat of the City of Johannesburg? Johannesburg itself, at the metro’s civic core.
What is the population of Johannesburg metro? 4,803,262 at the 2022 census, up from 4,434,631 in 2011, South Africa’s largest metro population.
How big is the metro? 1,642.6 km².
Which province and district is it in? Gauteng; as a metro it has no district municipality above it.
What are the largest suburbs and townships? Soweto, Randburg, Roodepoort, Sandton, Midrand, Diepsloot and Alexandra.
When was the City of Johannesburg formed? In its current single-tier metro form in 2000, from eleven previously separate local authorities including the old Johannesburg, Sandton, Randburg, Roodepoort and Soweto councils.
What is Johannesburg’s other name? Often called “Jozi” or “Joburg” informally, and historically “Egoli”, Zulu/Sotho for “place of gold”.