# Gauteng
**Gauteng** (meaning "Place of Gold" in Sesotho) is one of South Africa's nine provinces, the smallest by land area at 18,178 km² but the most populous, and the country's economic and administrative heartland.[1](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces) • [2](https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Pages/2025/07-11-2025_NCOP_Provincial_week/background/Gauteng_Profile.pdf) Its capital is [Johannesburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/johannesburg), and it contains Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa and the seat of the [Union Buildings](https://www.edgepedia.org/union-buildings), where the offices of the country's President are located.[1](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Area | 18,178 km², about 1.4% of South Africa's land area, the smallest of the nine provinces[1](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces) |
| Population | 15,099,422 at Census 2022, the highest of any province and 24.3% of the national total[3](https://census.statssa.gov.za/assets/documents/2022/P03014_Census_2022_Statistical_Release.pdf) |
| Capital | Johannesburg; Pretoria (City of Tshwane) is the national administrative capital[1](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces) |
| Economy | Contributes 33.9% of national GDP (about 35% per the 2025 provincial budget); largest urban economy in Africa[4](https://www.gov.za/provinces) • [5](https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/provincial%20budget/2025/1.%20Provincial%20Budget%20Speeches/Gauteng%20-%20Budget%20Speech%20-%2018%20March%202025.pdf) • [6](https://www.cogta.gov.za/cgta_2016/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gauteng-DDM-Booklet-Vol-1-Nov-2021.pdf) |
| Principal languages | isiZulu 23.0%, Sesotho 12.7%, English 11.3%, Afrikaans 10.1%[1](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces) |
| Municipalities | 11 in total: three metropolitan (Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni) and two district (Sedibeng, West Rand)[7](https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Pages/2022/3-march/22-03-2022_National_Council_of_Provinces_Provincial_Week/General_Resource_Documents/PRU_Bulletin_NCOP_Provincial_Week_2022_Final.pdf) |
| Density and urbanization | About 831 people per km² in 2022; 97% urbanized[8](https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/LivingInGP/LivingInGP.pdf) • [6](https://www.cogta.gov.za/cgta_2016/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gauteng-DDM-Booklet-Vol-1-Nov-2021.pdf) • [17](https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report-03-01-76/Report-03-01-762022.pdf) |
## Geography and name
Gauteng sits on the highest part of the interior plateau known as the Highveld, in the northern part of the country, and is bordered by the [Free State](https://www.edgepedia.org/free-state), North West, Limpopo, and [Mpumalanga](https://www.edgepedia.org/mpumalanga) provinces.[7](https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Pages/2022/3-march/22-03-2022_National_Council_of_Provinces_Provincial_Week/General_Resource_Documents/PRU_Bulletin_NCOP_Provincial_Week_2022_Final.pdf) • [6](https://www.cogta.gov.za/cgta_2016/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gauteng-DDM-Booklet-Vol-1-Nov-2021.pdf) The name comes from Sesotho and means "Place of Gold", a reference to the gold-bearing [Witwatersrand](https://www.edgepedia.org/witwatersrand) on which the province's cities grew.[2](https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Pages/2025/07-11-2025_NCOP_Provincial_week/background/Gauteng_Profile.pdf) Although landlocked and a considerable distance from major ports, the province functions as the commercial, financial, and industrial heart of both South Africa and the wider Southern African region.[6](https://www.cogta.gov.za/cgta_2016/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gauteng-DDM-Booklet-Vol-1-Nov-2021.pdf)
## Population
Census 2022 recorded 15,099,422 people in Gauteng, the largest provincial population in the country, up from 12,272,263 in 2011 and 7,834,620 in 1996; the 2011 to 2022 increase was 23.0%.[3](https://census.statssa.gov.za/assets/documents/2022/P03014_Census_2022_Statistical_Release.pdf) [Statistics South Africa](https://www.edgepedia.org/statistics-south-africa)'s mid-year estimates, which do not incorporate Census 2022, put the province at about 16.10 million people, or 26.6% of the national total, in 2022.[9](https://www.statssa.gov.za/?PPN=P0302&SCH=73305&page_id=1856) The provincial government's 2025 budget outlook cites a population of over 15 million, projected to reach 18 million by 2030, with urbanization driven largely by migration.[10](https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/provincial%20budget/2025/3.%20Estimates%20of%20Provincial%20Revenue%20and%20Expenditure/Gauteng/Vote%2001%20-%20Office%20of%20the%20Premier.pdf)
**Migration drives growth.** For 2021 to 2026, Gauteng and the [Western Cape](https://www.edgepedia.org/western-cape) were estimated to receive the largest inflows of migrants of any provinces, approximately 1,443,978 for Gauteng.[9](https://www.statssa.gov.za/?PPN=P0302&SCH=73305&page_id=1856) The province is also the only one where the proportion of females has been consistently below 50% since 1996, a pattern associated with labor migration.[3](https://census.statssa.gov.za/assets/documents/2022/P03014_Census_2022_Statistical_Release.pdf) Households grew faster than people: the number of households rose 36.1% between 2011 and 2022 to 5,318,665, and Gauteng held 29.8% of all South African households in 2022.[11](https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report-03-01-83/Report-03-01-832022.pdf)
## Economy
Gauteng contributes 33.9% of South Africa's gross domestic product according to the national government's provinces overview, and the 2025 provincial budget speech put the share at around 35 percent.[4](https://www.gov.za/provinces) • [5](https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/provincial%20budget/2025/1.%20Provincial%20Budget%20Speeches/Gauteng%20-%20Budget%20Speech%20-%2018%20March%202025.pdf) It dominates the national economy in every major sector except agriculture, mining, and quarrying; mining produces only 6% of the province's total income but 31% of its export earnings.[4](https://www.gov.za/provinces) The province is an integrated industrial complex with major economic activity in three sub-regions: the Vaal Triangle, the East, West, and Central Rand, and Pretoria.[1](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces)
**Finance and gateways.** Johannesburg houses the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the largest securities exchange in Africa, and most overseas visitors enter South Africa through OR Tambo International Airport.[1](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces) Important sectors include financial and business services, logistics, manufacturing, property, telecommunications, and trade.[1](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces) The province's population has the highest per-capita income level in the country.[4](https://www.gov.za/provinces)
**Recent performance.** The provincial economy grew by 1.3% in 2024 and was forecast to reach 1.8% in 2025 and 2% in 2026, above national levels.[5](https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/provincial%20budget/2025/1.%20Provincial%20Budget%20Speeches/Gauteng%20-%20Budget%20Speech%20-%2018%20March%202025.pdf) The 2026 State of the Province Address reported a record 5.24 million people employed, accounting for nearly 70% of national job gains over the preceding year, and R27 billion in foreign direct investment attracted from countries including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Australia, Cyprus, the USA, and the UAE.[12](https://www.gov.za/news/speeches/premier-panyaza-lesufi-gauteng-state-province-address-2026-24-feb-2026)
## Government and cities
Each South African province has its own legislature, premier, and executive council under Chapter 6 of the 1996 Constitution.[13](https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/constitution-republic-south-africa-1996-chapter-6-provinces-07-feb-1997) Gauteng is divided into 11 municipalities: three metropolitan municipalities (Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, and Tshwane) and two district municipalities (Sedibeng and West Rand).[7](https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Pages/2022/3-march/22-03-2022_National_Council_of_Provinces_Provincial_Week/General_Resource_Documents/PRU_Bulletin_NCOP_Provincial_Week_2022_Final.pdf) The City of Tshwane incorporates Pretoria, the country's administrative (executive) capital.[2](https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Pages/2025/07-11-2025_NCOP_Provincial_week/background/Gauteng_Profile.pdf)
The province's universities include the [University of Pretoria](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-pretoria), the largest residential university in South Africa, the [University of South Africa](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-south-africa), believed to be the largest correspondence university in the world, the [University of the Witwatersrand](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-the-witwatersrand), and the University of Johannesburg.[4](https://www.gov.za/provinces) Research institutions headquartered in the province include the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Agricultural Research Council, the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, and the Human Sciences Research Council.[4](https://www.gov.za/provinces)
## Pressures on services
Rapid urbanization strains infrastructure. In early 2023, taps ran dry across Johannesburg, a city of about 6 million people, and Gauteng water management authorities warned that failure to reduce consumption could result in a total collapse of the water system.[14](https://apnews.com/article/fa8c921c6a063a31aec37e05864d61fb) In January 2026, an explosion at the Rand Water plant, a subsequent fire in transmission machinery, and a burst pipe deeply affected the provincial water supply before emergency repairs.[12](https://www.gov.za/news/speeches/premier-panyaza-lesufi-gauteng-state-province-address-2026-24-feb-2026)
**Illegal mining.** The outskirts of Johannesburg and the wider province are dotted with abandoned mine shafts, where armed syndicates run illegal gold mining operations using informal miners known as zama zamas.[15](https://apnews.com/article/39d86380a72efcd6755a4e500e0f56f9) In 2026 the government deployed soldiers to high-crime areas including Gauteng, and troops dismantled illegal mining equipment in Randfontein, about 40 km west of Johannesburg.[15](https://apnews.com/article/39d86380a72efcd6755a4e500e0f56f9) • [16](https://apnews.com/article/57bdb1d71247fdfafb98ee8fd065f186)
## References
1. [Gauteng, South Africa's provinces, South African Government](https://www.gov.za/about-sa/south-africas-provinces)
2. [Provincial Profiles: Gauteng, 2025 NCOP Provincial Week, Parliament of South Africa](https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Pages/2025/07-11-2025_NCOP_Provincial_week/background/Gauteng_Profile.pdf)
3. [Census 2022 Statistical Release P0301.4, Statistics South Africa](https://census.statssa.gov.za/assets/documents/2022/P03014_Census_2022_Statistical_Release.pdf)
4. [Provinces, South African Government](https://www.gov.za/provinces)
5. [Gauteng 2025/26 Budget Speech, MEC Lebogang Maile, Gauteng Provincial Treasury](https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/provincial%20budget/2025/1.%20Provincial%20Budget%20Speeches/Gauteng%20-%20Budget%20Speech%20-%2018%20March%202025.pdf)
6. [The DDM and the Gauteng City-Region, Department of Cooperative Governance](https://www.cogta.gov.za/cgta_2016/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gauteng-DDM-Booklet-Vol-1-Nov-2021.pdf)
7. [Provincial Profile: Gauteng 2022/23, Parliament of South Africa](https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Pages/2022/3-march/22-03-2022_National_Council_of_Provinces_Provincial_Week/General_Resource_Documents/PRU_Bulletin_NCOP_Provincial_Week_2022_Final.pdf)
8. [Living in Gauteng, Statistics South Africa](https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/LivingInGP/LivingInGP.pdf)
9. [Mid-year population estimates 2022, key findings P0302, Statistics South Africa](https://www.statssa.gov.za/?PPN=P0302&SCH=73305&page_id=1856)
10. [EPRE 2025/26, Vote 1 Office of the Premier, National Treasury](https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/provincial%20budget/2025/3.%20Estimates%20of%20Provincial%20Revenue%20and%20Expenditure/Gauteng/Vote%2001%20-%20Office%20of%20the%20Premier.pdf)
11. [The state of basic service delivery: Analysis of Census 2022 data, Report 03-01-83, Statistics South Africa](https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report-03-01-83/Report-03-01-832022.pdf)
12. [Premier Panyaza Lesufi: Gauteng State of the Province Address 2026, South African Government](https://www.gov.za/news/speeches/premier-panyaza-lesufi-gauteng-state-province-address-2026-24-feb-2026)
13. [Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, Chapter 6: Provinces](https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/constitution-republic-south-africa-1996-chapter-6-provinces-07-feb-1997)
14. [Taps have run dry across South Africa's largest city in an unprecedented water crisis, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/fa8c921c6a063a31aec37e05864d61fb)
15. [Soldiers on the streets: What's behind South Africa's plan to deploy the army in high-crime areas, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/39d86380a72efcd6755a4e500e0f56f9)
16. [South African soldiers dismantle illegal mining operations near Johannesburg, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/57bdb1d71247fdfafb98ee8fd065f186)
17. [statssa.gov.za](https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report-03-01-76/Report-03-01-762022.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Administrative and cadastral territories › First-order subdivisions › Provinces of Africa*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license