Quick facts
Thembisa overview
Thembisa (orange) and the other large cities of South Africa
Thembisa lies in Gauteng in South Africa at 26°S, 28.23°E, about 1,577 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Johannesburg (UTC+2).
It is smaller than Bloemfontein (556,637) and larger than East London (478,676). 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 28 km away; the nearest large city is Centurion, 16 km from Thembisa.
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 Thembisa
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Centurion Gauteng | 16 km | 236,580 |
| Benoni Gauteng | 23 km | 605,344 |
| Boksburg Gauteng | 24 km | 445,168 |
| Randburg Gauteng | 25 km | 337,053 |
| Germiston Gauteng | 25 km | 255,863 |
| Etwatwa Gauteng | 27 km | 151,866 |
| PretoriaCapital Gauteng | 28 km | 2,112,693 |
| Johannesburg Gauteng | 29 km | 9,418,183 |
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 Thembisa?
Thembisa has about 511,655 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Thembisa the capital of South Africa?
No. The capital of South Africa is Pretoria (2,112,693 people), about 28 km away. Thembisa is the 12th largest city of the country.
How big is Thembisa compared with the rest of South Africa?
Its 511,655 residents are 0.8% of the 65,656,172 people living in South Africa today. Johannesburg is larger with 9,418,183 people.
Where is Thembisa?
In Gauteng, South Africa, at latitude -26 and longitude 28.23, 1,577 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Centurion (16 km), Benoni (23 km), Boksburg (24 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Thembisa Population 2026 — South Africa. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/thembisa/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/thembisa/">Thembisa 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.