Provinces of South Africa - Wikipedia Provinces of South Africa South African Provinces North West Northern Cape Gauteng Limpopo Mpumalanga Free State KwaZulu - Natal Eastern Cape Western Cape Category Unitary state Location Republic of South Africa Number 9 Provinces Populations 1,145,861 ( Northern Cape ) -- 12,272,263 ( Gauteng ) Areas 47,080 km ( 18,178 sq mi ) ( Gauteng ) -- 372,890 km ( 143,973 sq mi ) ( Northern Cape ) Government Provincial government, National government Subdivisions Districts South Africa This article is part of a series on the politics and government of South Africa Constitution Bill of Rights Executive President Cyril Ramaphosa Deputy President David Mabuza Cabinet Shadow Cabinet Legislative National Council of Provinces Chairperson Thandi Modise National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete Leader of the Opposition Mmusi Maimane Judiciary Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng Deputy Chief Justice Ray Zondo Courts Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Appeal President : Mandisa Maya High Court Magistrate 's courts Electoral Court Elections General 1910 1915 1920 1921 1924 1929 1933 1938 1943 1948 1953 1958 1961 1966 1970 1974 1977 1981 1984 1987 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 Municipal 2000 2006 2011 2016 Referendums 1960 1983 1992 Political parties Administrative divisions Provinces Districts Metropolitan municipality District municipality Municipalities ( list ) Foreign relations Minister of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic missions Passport Related topics Human rights Taxation Protests Repression Political assassinations Other countries Atlas South Africa is divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa 's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the constitution changed the borders of seven of the provinces. Contents 1 History 2 Government 2.1 National Council of Provinces 2.2 Provincial government 3 The provinces of South Africa 4 Former administrative divisions 5 See also 6 References History The provinces at the creation of the Union in 1910 The Union of South Africa was established in 1910 by combining four British colonies : the Cape Colony, the Natal Colony, the Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony. ( The latter two were, before the Second Boer War, independent republics known as the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. ) These colonies became the four original provinces of the Union : Cape Province, Transvaal Province, Natal Province and Orange Free State Province. Provinces and homelands, as they were at the end of apartheid Segregation of the black population started as early as 1913, with ownership of land by the black majority being restricted to certain areas totalling about 13 % of the country. From the late 1950s, these areas were gradually consolidated into `` homelands '', also called `` bantustans ''. Four of these homelands were established as quasi-independent nation states of the black population during the apartheid era. In 1976, the homeland of Transkei was the first to accept independence from South Africa, and although this independence was never acknowledged by any other country, three other homelands -- Bophuthatswana ( 1977 ), Venda ( 1979 ) and Ciskei ( 1981 ) -- followed suit. On 27 April 1994, the date of the first non-racial elections and of the adoption of the Interim Constitution, all of these provinces and homelands were dissolved, and nine new provinces were established. Government Johannesburg City Hall, now the seat of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Main article : Provincial governments of South Africa South Africa 's provinces are governed, in different ways, on a national, provincial and local level. Nationally, there is the National Council of Provinces, one of the houses of Parliament. Then there is the provincial government and, below that, the administration of district and metropolitan municipalities. National Council of provinces South Africa has two houses of parliament : the National Assembly, and the National Council of Provinces. The second exists to ensure that the interests of each province are protected in the laws passed by the National Assembly. Each one of South Africa 's nine provinces sends 10 representatives to the National Council of Provinces. Six of these are permanent members of the council, and four are special delegates. Provincial government Each province is governed by a unicameral legislature. The size of the legislature is proportional to population, ranging from 30 members in the Northern Cape to 80 in KwaZulu - Natal. The legislatures are elected every five years by a system of party - list proportional representation ; by convention, they are all elected on the same day, at the same time as the National Assembly election. The provincial legislature elects, from amongst its members, a Premier, who is the head of the executive. The Premier chooses an Executive Council consisting of between five and ten members of the legislature, which is the cabinet of the provincial government. The Members of the Executive Council ( MECs ) are the provincial equivalent of ministers. The powers of the provincial government are limited to specific topics listed in the national constitution. On some of these topics -- for example, agriculture, education, health and public housing -- the province 's powers are shared with the national government, which can establish uniform standards and frameworks for the provincial governments to follow ; on other topics the provincial government has exclusive power. The provinces do not have their own court systems, as the administration of justice is the responsibility of the national government. The provinces of South Africa Province Name in the most spoken native language Capital Largest city Area Population ( 2011 ) Population density ( 2011 ) Human Devel. Index ( 2003 ) Eastern Cape iMpuma - Koloni ( Xhosa ) Bhisho ( Bisho ) Port Elizabeth 7011168966000000000 ♠ 168,966 km ( 65,238 sq mi ) 6,562,053 6995387999999999999 ♠ 38.8 / km ( 100 / sq mi ) 0.62 Free State Freistata ( Sotho ) Bloemfontein Bloemfontein 7011129825000000000 ♠ 129,825 km ( 50,126 sq mi ) 2,745,590 6995211000000000000 ♠ 21.1 / km ( 55 / sq mi ) 0.67 Gauteng iGauteng ( Zulu ) Johannesburg Johannesburg 7010181780000000000 ♠ 18,178 km ( 7,019 sq mi ) 12,272,263 6996675100000000000 ♠ 675.1 / km ( 1,749 / sq mi ) 0.74 KwaZulu - Natal iKwaZulu - Natali ( Zulu ) Pietermaritzburg ‡ Durban 7010943610000000000 ♠ 94,361 km ( 36,433 sq mi ) 10,267,300 6996108799999999999 ♠ 108.8 / km ( 282 / sq mi ) 0.63 Limpopo Limpopo ( Northern Sotho ) Polokwane ( Pietersburg ) Polokwane 7011125754000000000 ♠ 125,754 km ( 48,554 sq mi ) 5,404,868 6995429999999999999 ♠ 43.0 / km ( 111 / sq mi ) 0.59 Mpumalanga iMpumalanga ( Swazi ) Mbombela ( Nelspruit ) Mbombela 7010764950000000000 ♠ 76,495 km ( 29,535 sq mi ) 4,039,939 6995527999999999999 ♠ 52.8 / km ( 137 / sq mi ) 0.65 North West Bokone Bophirima ( Tswana ) Mahikeng ( Mafikeng ) Klerksdorp 7011104882000000000 ♠ 104,882 km ( 40,495 sq mi ) 3,509,953 6995335000000000000 ♠ 33.5 / km ( 87 / sq mi ) 0.61 Northern Cape Noord - Kaap ( Afrikaans ) Kimberley Kimberley 7011372889000000000 ♠ 372,889 km ( 143,973 sq mi ) 1,145,861 6994310000000000000 ♠ 3.1 / km ( 8.0 / sq mi ) 0.69 Western Cape † Wes - Kaap ( Afrikaans ) Cape Town Cape Town 7011129462000000000 ♠ 129,462 km ( 49,986 sq mi ) 5,822,734 6995449999999999999 ♠ 45.0 / km ( 117 / sq mi ) 0.77 Republic of South Africa iRiphabhuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika ( Zulu ) Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein Johannesburg 1,220,813 km ( 471,359 sq mi ) 51,770,560 42.4 / km ( 110 / sq mi ) 0.67 Footnotes : † These statistics do not include the Prince Edward Islands ( 335 km, 129 sq mi, with no permanent residents ), which are South African territories in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean but part of the Western Cape for legal and electoral purposes. ‡ Pietermaritzburg and Ulundi were joint capitals of KwaZulu - Natal from 1994 to 2004. Former administrative divisions Province Capital Peak population Cape of Good Hope ( 1910 -- 1994 ) Cape Town 6,125,335 Natal ( 1910 -- 1994 ) Pietermaritzburg 2,430,753 Orange Free State ( 1910 -- 1994 ) Bloemfontein 2,193,062 Transvaal ( 1910 -- 1994 ) Pretoria 9,491,265 Homelands Capital Peak population Bophuthatswana ( 1977 -- 1994 ) † Mmabatho 1,478,950 Ciskei ( 1972 -- 1994 ) † Bisho 677,920 Gazankulu ( 1971 -- 1994 ) Giyani 954,771 KaNgwane ( 1981 -- 1994 ) Louieville Schoemansdal ( de facto ) 779,240 KwaNdebele ( 1981 -- 1994 ) KwaMhlanga 404,246 KwaZulu ( 1981 -- 1994 ) Nongoma ( until 1980 ) Ulundi ( 1980 -- 1994 ) 3,400,000 Lebowa ( 1972 -- 1994 ) Lebowakgomo 2,740,587 QwaQwa ( 1974 -- 1994 ) Phuthaditjhaba 342,886 Transkei ( 1976 -- 1994 ) † Umtata 2,323,650 Venda ( 1979 -- 1994 ) † Thohoyandou 558,797 Mandates Capital Peak population South - West Africa Windhoek 1,415,000 Footnotes : † States for which the homeland was quasi-independent. See also Elections in South Africa Prince Edward Islands Proposals for South Africa to annex Lesotho Walvis Bay ISO 3166 - 2 : ZA References Jump up ^ `` The nine provinces of South Africa - South Africa Gateway ''. South Africa Gateway. 2018 - 04 - 06. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 14. Jump up ^ `` The nine provinces of South Africa - South Africa Gateway ''. South Africa Gateway. 2018 - 04 - 06. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 14. Jump up ^ `` The nine provinces of South Africa - South Africa Gateway ''. South Africa Gateway. 2018 - 04 - 06. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 14. ^ Jump up to : `` Provincial Government of South Africa ''. Retrieved 20 November 2017. Jump up ^ ' Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, `` Chapter 6 : Provinces ''. Sections 104 and 146. Jump up ^ http://www.statssa.gov.za/census/census_2011/census_products/Census_2011_Census_in_brief.pdf, p. 25. ^ Jump up to : Census 2011 : Census in brief ( PDF ). Pretoria : Statistics South Africa. 2012. p. 30. ISBN 9780621413885. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 13 May 2015. Jump up ^ Adelzadeh, Asghar ; et al. South Africa Human Development Report 2003 ( PDF ). Cape Town : Oxford University Press. p. 282. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 578418 - 3. Lists relating to the provinces of South Africa Ranked by area by population by population density by GDP by GDP per capita by HDI by highest point Political Capitals Administrators ( 1910 -- 1994 ) Premiers ( since 1994 ) Legislatures Districts Municipalities Other ISO 3166 - 2 codes Vehicle registration plates Administrative divisions of South Africa Capitals : Pretoria ( executive ) Bloemfontein ( judicial ) Cape Town ( legislative ) Provinces Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu - Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga North West Northern Cape Western Cape Municipalities List of municipalities in South Africa By province Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu - Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga North West Northern Cape Western Cape Types Metropolitan Local District Transitional Settlements By province Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu - Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga North West Northern Cape Western Cape South Africa articles History Timeline ( nl ) Years Early history Cape Colony Orange Free State Transvaal First Boer War Second Boer War Great Depression World War II Apartheid Border War Since 1994 By topic Economy Military Geography Districts Earthquakes Estuaries Forests Islands Lakes Mountain ranges Municipalities National parks Populated places Provinces Rivers Wildlife Politics Constitution Courts Elections Foreign relations Government Human rights Law Parliament Political parties President State security and intelligence Minister Co-ordinating committee ( NICC ) Intelligence agency ( NIA ) Communications centre ( NCC ) Communications security ( COMSEC ) Secret Service ( SASS ) Intelligence academy ( SANAI ) Law enforcement Department of Police Police Service Criminal intelligence ( SAPS ) Special Task Force National Intervention Unit NFDD Municipal Police Independent Complaints Directorate Department of Correctional Services Biometrics use Military Department of Defence Defence Force Air Force Army Navy Military Health Service Special Forces Commando System Intelligence Economy Agriculture Communications Economic history Energy Foreign trade Mining industry Rand ( currency ) Stock exchange Taxation Tourism Trade unions Transportation Water and sanitation Society Crime Education Feminism Health Healthcare Immigration Intersex Languages LGBT Racism Religion Sexual violence Social movements Xenophobia Culture Architecture Art Cinema Cuisine Flag HIV / AIDS Homelessness Literature Media Music Public holidays Sports Demographics Asian Indian Chinese Bantu Ndebele Pedi Sotho Swazi Tsonga Tswana Venda Xhosa Zulu Coloured Cape Coloured Cape Malay Griqua Khoisan White Afrikaner British Outline Index Category Portal Articles on first - level administrative divisions of African countries Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire ( Ivory Coast ) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Table of administrative country subdivisions by country Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Provinces_of_South_Africa&oldid=852055432 '' Categories : Provinces of South Africa Subdivisions of South Africa Lists of subdivisions of South Africa Country subdivisions in Africa First - level administrative country subdivisions South Africa geography - related lists Hidden categories : Use South African English from May 2012 All Wikipedia articles written in South African English Use dmy dates from May 2011 Articles containing Xhosa - language text Articles containing Sotho - language text Articles containing Zulu - language text Articles containing Northern Sotho - language text Articles containing Swazi - language text Articles containing Tswana - language text Articles containing Afrikaans - language text Interlanguage link template link number Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Afrikaans Asturianu Bân - lâm - gú Brezhoneg Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Interlingue IsiXhosa IsiZulu Italiano עברית ქართული Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски മലയാളം मराठी Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Novial ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Polski Português Русский Scots Sesotho Setswana Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Tshivenda Türkçe Українська اردو Vepsän kel ' Tiếng Việt Yorùbá 中文 45 more Edit links This page was last edited on 26 July 2018, at 09 : 57 ( UTC ). 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Question: how many states are there in south africa
Answer: 9 Provinces