Highest Major Cities in South Africa

Cities in South Africa with more than 15,000 inhabitants, ranked by elevation above sea level (GeoNames digital elevation model).

📅 2026📏 metres50 entries🇿🇦 See all of this country’s rankings →

All entries · 50

1,600 metres1,700 metres1,800 metres

Every dot is one entry, placed by its value (metres); the vertical bar marks each row’s median.

Belfast20,036 people · Mpumalanga

1,873 m

Fouriesburg15,544 people · Free State

1,796 m

Johannesburg9,418,183 people · Gauteng

1,767 m

Breyten17,189 people · Mpumalanga

1,753 m

Roodepoort326,416 people · Gauteng

1,738 m

Krugersdorp378,821 people · Gauteng

1,724 m

Randfontein133,654 people · Gauteng

1,716 m

Mamafubedu15,447 people · Free State

1,710 m

Ermelo100,324 people · Mpumalanga

1,700 m

Carolina20,184 people · Mpumalanga

1,698 m

Tshiame17,800 people · Free State

1,697 m

Hendrina27,300 people · Mpumalanga

1,686 m

Vrede21,193 people · Free State

1,678 m

Daggakraal15,793 people · Mpumalanga

1,676 m

Lebohang31,553 people · Mpumalanga

1,675 m

Leslie39,514 people · Mpumalanga

1,675 m

Phuthaditjhaba84,258 people · Free State

1,671 m

Zastron18,699 people · Free State

1,668 m

Volksrust43,378 people · Mpumalanga

1,664 m

Kinross18,266 people · Mpumalanga

1,663 m

Bethal72,821 people · Mpumalanga

1,661 m

Edenvale49,292 people · Gauteng

1,651 m

Harrismith33,390 people · Free State

1,643 m

Reitz24,181 people · Free State

1,643 m

Benoni605,344 people · Gauteng

1,641 m

Soweto1,695,047 people · Gauteng

1,632 m

Brakpan305,692 people · Gauteng

1,631 m

Bethlehem91,075 people · Free State

1,630 m

Redhill23,153 people · Mpumalanga

1,630 m

Springs186,394 people · Gauteng

1,630 m

Emalahleni373,403 people · Mpumalanga

1,629 m

Germiston255,863 people · Gauteng

1,626 m

Trichardt52,776 people · Mpumalanga

1,625 m

Boksburg445,168 people · Gauteng

1,624 m

Balfour46,008 people · Mpumalanga

1,622 m

Koster23,361 people · North West

1,620 m

Midrand87,387 people · Gauteng

1,606 m

Thubelihle15,876 people · Mpumalanga

1,602 m

Ficksburg49,420 people · Free State

1,598 m

Randburg337,053 people · Gauteng

1,593 m

Westonaria156,831 people · Gauteng

1,593 m

Secunda20,418 people · Mpumalanga

1,592 m

Ladybrand30,930 people · Free State

1,588 m

Etwatwa151,866 people · Gauteng

1,587 m

Hlohlolwane21,089 people · Free State

1,583 m

Bagale16,087 people · Gauteng

1,580 m

Thembisa511,655 people · Gauteng

1,577 m

eMbalenhle142,443 people · Mpumalanga

1,575 m

Alberton121,536 people · Gauteng

1,574 m

Standerton101,101 people · Mpumalanga

1,569 m

Highlights

Within South Africa, Belfast ranks first in 2026 with 1,873 m, followed by Fouriesburg (1,796 m) and Johannesburg (1,767 m).

Across 50 entries, values run from 1,873 m (Belfast) to 1,569 m (Standerton), with a median of 1,637 m.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants, 2026. Unit: metres.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants · CC BY 4.0 (GeoNames) · fetched Oct 17, 2026 — Elevation is the GeoNames digital elevation model value at the populated place coordinates; population figures are shown for context.

Ranking

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Highlights

Within South Africa, Belfast ranks first in 2026 with 1,873 m, followed by Fouriesburg (1,796 m) and Johannesburg (1,767 m).

Across 50 entries, values run from 1,873 m (Belfast) to 1,569 m (Standerton), with a median of 1,637 m.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants, 2026. Unit: metres.