Quick facts
Pretoria overview
Pretoria (orange) and the other large cities of South Africa
Pretoria lies in Gauteng in South Africa at 25.74°S, 28.19°E, about 1,332 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Johannesburg (UTC+2); GeoNames classifies it as a national capital.
It is smaller than Durban (3,338,026) and larger than Soweto (1,695,047). The largest city in South Africa is Johannesburg with 9,418,183 people.
The nearest large city is Centurion, about 13 km away, followed by Thembisa (28 km).
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 Pretoria
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Centurion Gauteng | 13 km | 236,580 |
| Thembisa Gauteng | 28 km | 511,655 |
| Mabopane Gauteng | 29 km | 110,972 |
| Soshanguve Gauteng | 32 km | 872,309 |
| Hammanskraal North West | 39 km | 112,950 |
| Brits North West | 43 km | 122,497 |
| Randburg Gauteng | 43 km | 337,053 |
| Etwatwa Gauteng | 50 km | 151,866 |
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 Pretoria?
Pretoria has about 2,112,693 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Pretoria the capital of South Africa?
Yes — Pretoria is the national capital of South Africa.
How big is Pretoria compared with the rest of South Africa?
Its 2,112,693 residents are 3.2% of the 65,656,172 people living in South Africa today. Johannesburg is larger with 9,418,183 people.
Where is Pretoria?
In Gauteng, South Africa, at latitude -25.74 and longitude 28.19, 1,332 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Centurion (13 km), Thembisa (28 km), Mabopane (29 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Pretoria Population 2026 — South Africa. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/pretoria/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/pretoria/">Pretoria 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.