Quick facts
Soshanguve overview
Soshanguve (orange) and the other large cities of South Africa
Soshanguve lies in Gauteng in South Africa at 25.47°S, 28.1°E, about 1,179 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Johannesburg (UTC+2).
It is smaller than Gqeberha (1,050,078) and larger than Pietermaritzburg (839,327). 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 32 km away; the nearest large city is Mabopane, 5 km from Soshanguve.
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 Soshanguve
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 Soshanguve?
Soshanguve has about 872,309 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Soshanguve the capital of South Africa?
No. The capital of South Africa is Pretoria (2,112,693 people), about 32 km away. Soshanguve is the 7th largest city of the country.
How big is Soshanguve compared with the rest of South Africa?
Its 872,309 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 Soshanguve?
In Gauteng, South Africa, at latitude -25.47 and longitude 28.1, 1,179 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Mabopane (5 km), Hammanskraal (20 km), Pretoria (32 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Soshanguve Population 2026 — South Africa. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/soshanguve/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/soshanguve/">Soshanguve 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.