West Rand District Municipality covers Gauteng’s mining belt west of Johannesburg, with a combined 2022 census population of 998,466 across three local municipalities. The district was reshaped in August 2016, when the Westonaria and Randfontein local municipalities merged to form Rand West City, reducing the district from four member municipalities to three.
Local Municipalities in West Rand
| Municipality | Seat | 2022 pop. |
|---|---|---|
| Mogale City | Krugersdorp | 438,217 |
| Rand West City | Randfontein | 334,773 |
| Merafong City | Carletonville | 225,476 |
Major Towns
- Krugersdorp
- Kagiso
- Randfontein
- Westonaria
- Mohlakeng
- Toekomsrus
- Carletonville
- Khutsong
- Welverdiend
- Magaliesburg
- Bekkersdal
- Glenharvie
- Munsieville
- Muldersdrift
- Tarlton
- Fochville
- Blyvooruitzicht
- Rant-en-Dal
- Featherbrooke Estate
- Hekpoort
Krugersdorp, in Mogale City, is the district’s largest town and functions as its administrative and commercial anchor, closest of the three to Johannesburg. Randfontein and Westonaria, now both part of Rand West City, and Carletonville, in Merafong City, developed as company mining towns and still carry that layout — a formal town centre surrounded by mine-owned housing estates and townships such as Kagiso, Mohlakeng and Khutsong.
Geography
West Rand District sits on the western edge of the Witwatersrand goldfields, straddling the Magaliesberg mountain range, and borders the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality to the east and North West province municipalities to the west and south. Mogale City, closest to Johannesburg, includes part of the Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve; Rand West City and Merafong City lie further southwest across flatter Highveld terrain pitted with mine dumps and tailings dams from more than a century of gold extraction.
Economy
The district’s economy has historically centred on deep-level gold mining, with Merafong City’s Carletonville area home to some of the world’s deepest and richest gold mines, including Western Deep Levels and Elandsrand, first developed after gold discoveries in the early 1930s. Mogale City and Rand West City combine mining legacy with manufacturing, agriculture and, in Mogale City’s case, Magaliesberg tourism and game farming. As gold output has declined across the district, local economies have diversified into logistics, agri-processing and, around Krugersdorp, commuter-belt residential growth linked to Johannesburg.
FAQ
How many local municipalities make up West Rand? Three — Mogale City, Rand West City and Merafong City.
What is West Rand’s population? 998,466 at the 2022 census, up from 821,191 in 2011.
Which province is West Rand in? Gauteng.
What are West Rand’s main towns? Krugersdorp, Randfontein, Westonaria, Carletonville and Fochville.
Did any of West Rand’s municipalities merge recently? Yes — Westonaria and Randfontein merged in August 2016 to form Rand West City.