10 Richest Provinces In South Africa [2024 Updated]

This post will be centered on the richest provinces in South Africa. With the large land area of South Africa, the region is very successful and there are some cities rated as the richest provinces in South Africa. We have detailed the top nine richest provinces in South Africa.

South Africa (SA) or the Republic of South Africa is the 25th largest country in the world, the 24th most populous country, and one of the most peaceful countries in Africa. It is located on the African continent and has boundaries with Namibia on the North; Zimbabwe and Botswana on the east; then Mozambique and Swaziland on the northeast; and some parts of Lesotho.

List Of The Richest Provinces In South Africa

Gauteng

Gauteng which translates to “Place of Gold” has a GDP of R897,553 million and is rated as the most visited and richest province in South Africa.

Gauteng is situated North of South Africa and has the two largest cities in SA – Pretoria, and Johannesburg. The national capital of this South African Province is Pretoria and most of the residents here are Dutch settlers. This is one of the cities with the most billionaires in the world.

Even though Gauteng is the smallest province in South Africa having a population of 11,191,700 residents yet it is the wealthiest province in South Africa. Some of the industrial areas in this South African province include Vanderbijlpark and Midrand. The languages spoken in Gauteng are English, IsiZulu, Sesotho, and Afrikaans.

Western Cape

Western Cape is one of the richest provinces in South Africa and the fourth largest province in South Africa. Western Cape is situated on the Southwestern coast of South Africa and borders two large oceans of the world – the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Western Cape has a GDP of R376,284 million, making it the second-richest province in South Africa.

The world’s deadliest prisons including the prison where the great Nelson Mandela was jailed, are located in this South African province. The prisons have since been reformed into a museum.

Some historical towns like Paarl, Franschhoek, and Stellenbosch contribute largely to the 6.5 million population count of this South African province.

Read Also: The 10 Richest Women In South Africa

Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape was formed from the agglomeration of Transkei and Ciskei, two Xhosa homelands in 1994. The South African province is one of the richest provinces in South Africa with a population of 7 million people. The third richest province South Africa has a GDP of R203,993 million.

The largest cities in South Africa are Elizabeth and East London through the capital of the province is Bosco. The tourist attractions in this province of South Africa are the Tsitsikamma National park and Addo Elephant National park.

Kwazulu-natal

This wealthy province with a nominal GDP of R420,647 million and an increasing population of 10 million people is one of the richest provinces in South Africa.

The South African province is popular because of the coastal areas of the city. This is one of the most popular provinces in South Africa because of its beautiful vacation spots, beaches, oceans, and mountains surrounding various villages.

Limpopo

Limpopo was formed in 1994 from the Transvaal Province with the motto “Peace, Unity, and Prosperity” and under a parliamentary Government system. Limpopo is one of the richest provinces in South Africa with a GDP of R191,934 million and a population count of 6 million people.

Limpopo has borders with countries like Mozambique, Botswana, and Zimbabwe This wealthy South African province has wildlife resources and explorative parks. The province was named after the Limpopo River which borders the North and West; while the capital of the province formerly known as Polokwane was reformed into Pietersburg.

Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga which translates to “the point where the sun rises” in Zulu has a GDP of R187,367 million and an estimated population of 3,627,600 residents.

Sixth on the list of the richest provinces in South Africa is Mpumalanga located in the Eastern part of the nation and borders Mozambique and Swaziland.

Some of the beautiful sceneries in Mpumalanga are Kruger National Park – a large nature reserve park, the Iconic river, the Blyde river, and God’s window – a place in the Drakensberg with a panoramic view.

North-West

North-West has a GDP estimated at R177,075 million and a population count of about 3,200,900 residents. It is one of the wealthiest provinces in SA with an expanse of mountains and forests for exploration and adventure.

The largest city in this South African province is Klerksdorp though the capital of North West is Mahikeng. The North-West University is also located in this successful province of South Africa.

Free State

This province which can be visited through its main route between Cape Town and Johannesburg has a GDP of R145.405 million and a population of about 2,824,500 persons.

The Free state also extends into the Maluti mountains bordering Lesotho. The capital of this rich South African province is Bloemfontein.

Northern Cape

Northern Cape is rated as one of the richest provinces in South Africa with a GDP of R61,175 million and a population estimated at 1,103,900 people. The province was created when the Cape province was separated into 5 different districts in 1994.

Northern Cape is the largest province in South Africa and one of the richest provinces in the nation. The province is also the most largely populated in South Africa with Kimberly as its capital. The world’s famous park – “Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park” is located in this province of South Africa.

Conclusion

The elite locations in South Africa are the richest provinces in South Africa with beautiful sceneries, aesthetics, and myriad economic.

Having gone through the list, South Africa is one of the most powerful countries in Africa with the best tourism and vacation places. It has high-profile areas and vacation sites for anyone who intends to travel.

Read Also: 10 Cities In South Africa – Most Beautiful

These top nine richest provinces in South Africa are rated as such because of the median household income pooled by those cities into the national economy. However, there are also average and low-income areas in South Africa, though this post contained only the high-income areas.