Quick facts
Pietermaritzburg overview
Pietermaritzburg (orange) and the other large cities of South Africa
Pietermaritzburg lies in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa at 29.62°S, 30.39°E, about 636 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Johannesburg (UTC+2); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Soshanguve (872,309) and larger than Evaton (725,468). The largest city in South Africa is Johannesburg with 9,418,183 people; the capital, Pretoria, has 2,112,693.
The national capital, Pretoria, is about 482 km away; the nearest large city is Mpumalanga, 32 km from Pietermaritzburg.
South Africa as a whole has a live population of 65,656,172 (+1.1% a year) and ranks #24 of 238 countries — see the South Africa population page for the full statistics and the South Africa atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Pietermaritzburg
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Mpumalanga KwaZulu-Natal | 32 km | 140,121 |
| Pinetown KwaZulu-Natal | 53 km | 144,026 |
| Ntuzuma KwaZulu-Natal | 55 km | 125,394 |
| Durban KwaZulu-Natal | 67 km | 3,338,026 |
| KwaDukuza KwaZulu-Natal | 93 km | 161,177 |
| Ladysmith KwaZulu-Natal | 132 km | 143,446 |
| Richards Bay KwaZulu-Natal | 185 km | 252,968 |
Largest cities in South Africa
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | Gauteng | 9,418,183 |
| 2 | Cape Town | Western Cape | 4,772,846 |
| 3 | Durban | KwaZulu-Natal | 3,338,026 |
| 4 | PretoriaCapital | Gauteng | 2,112,693 |
| 5 | Soweto | Gauteng | 1,695,047 |
| 6 | Gqeberha | Eastern Cape | 1,050,078 |
| 7 | Soshanguve | Gauteng | 872,309 |
| 8 | Pietermaritzburg | KwaZulu-Natal | 839,327 |
| 9 | Evaton | Gauteng | 725,468 |
| 10 | Benoni | Gauteng | 605,344 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Pietermaritzburg?
Pietermaritzburg has about 839,327 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Pietermaritzburg the capital of South Africa?
No. The capital of South Africa is Pretoria (2,112,693 people), about 482 km away. Pietermaritzburg is the 8th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Pietermaritzburg compared with the rest of South Africa?
Its 839,327 residents are 1.3% of the 65,656,172 people living in South Africa today. Johannesburg is larger with 9,418,183 people.
Where is Pietermaritzburg?
In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, at latitude -29.62 and longitude 30.39, 636 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Mpumalanga (32 km), Pinetown (53 km), Ntuzuma (55 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Pietermaritzburg Population 2026 — South Africa. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/pietermaritzburg/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/pietermaritzburg/">Pietermaritzburg Population 2026 — South Africa</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.