Provinces

When apartheid ended in 1994, the South African government had to integrate the formerly independent and semi-independent Bantustans into the political structure of South Africa. To this end, it abolished the four former provinces of South Africa (Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal) and replaced them with nine fully integrated provinces. The new provinces are usually much smaller than the former provinces, which theoretically give local governments more resources to distribute over smaller areas.

The nine provinces are further sub-divided into 52 districts: 6 metropolitan and 46 district municipalities. The 46 district municipalities are further subdivided into 231 local municipalities. The district municipalities also contain 20 district management areas (mostly game parks) that are directly governed by the district municipalities. The six metropolitan municipalities perform the functions of both district and local municipalities.

The new provinces (capitals in brackets) are:

• Western Cape* (Cape Town)
  • City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality
  • West Coast District Municipality
  • Cape Winelands District Municipality
  • Overberg District Municipality
  • Eden District Municipality
  • Central Karoo District Municipality
• Northern Cape (Kimberley)
  • Siyanda District Municipality
  • Pixley ka Seme District Municipality
  • Francis Baard District Municipality
  • Kgalagadi District Municipality
  • Namakwa District Municipality
• Eastern Cape (Bhisho)
  • Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality
• KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg)
  • eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
  • Amajuba District Municipality
  • Zululand District Municipality
  • Umkhanyakude District Municipality
  • uThungulu District Municipality
  • Umzinyathi District Municipality
  • Uthukela District Municipality
  • Umgungundlovu District Municipality
  • iLembe District Municipality
  • Ugu District Municipality
  • Sisonke District Municipality
• Free State (Bloemfontein)
  • Northern Free State District Municipality
  • Thabo Mofutsanyane District Municipality
  • Motheo District Municipality
  • Xhariep District Municipality
  • Lejweleputswa District Municipality
• North West (Mafikeng)
  • Bojanala Platinum District Municipality
  • Central District Municipality
  • Bophirima District Municipality
  • Southern District Municipality
• Gauteng (Johannesburg)
  • City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
  • City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (Includes Pretoria)
  • Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (East Rand)
  • Metsweding District Municipality
  • Sedibeng District Municipality
  • West Rand District Municipality
• Mpumalanga (Nelspruit)
  • Gert Sibande District Municipality
  • Nkangala District Municipality
  • Ehlanzeni District Municipality
• Limpopo (Polokwane)
  • Capricorn District Municipality
  • Mopani District Municipality
  • Sekhukhune District Municipality
  • Vhembe District Municipality
  • Waterberg District Municipality

*The Prince Edward Islands are a South African territory in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean, for legal purposes considered to be part of the Western Cape.