Population during each mayor's tenure
8 mayors, ranked by how population changed from their first day in office, next to the province over the same months. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Mayor | City | In office | Total | vs province | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kgosientsho Ramokgopa | Pretoria | 2 Nov 2010 – 19 Aug 2016 | +20.7% 2010 → 2016 | +3.8 pts province +16.9% | +3.2%/yr | |
| 2 | DA Patricia de Lille | Cape Town | 1 Jun 2011 – 6 Nov 2018 | +19.9% 2010 → 2018 | +1.9 pts province +18.0% | +2.3%/yr | |
| 3 | Parks Tau | Johannesburg | 26 May 2011 – 22 Aug 2016 | +19.3% 2010 → 2016 | +2.4 pts province +16.9% | +3.0%/yr | |
| 4 | Duma Nkosi | Ekurhuleni | 1 Nov 2001 – 15 Jul 2008 from 2002 | +19.2% 2002 → 2008 | +1.3 pts province +17.9% | +3.0%/yr | |
| 5 | Gwen Ramokgopa | Pretoria | 17 Mar 2006 – 2 Nov 2010 | +16.7% 2005 → 2010 | +1.9 pts province +14.9% | +3.1%/yr | |
| 6 | Mondli Gungubele | Ekurhuleni | 3 Nov 2010 – 23 Aug 2016 | +15.8% 2010 → 2016 | −1.1 pts province +16.9% | +2.5%/yr | |
| 7 | James Nxumalo | Durban | 6 Jun 2011 – 23 Aug 2016 | +10.1% 2010 → 2016 | +3.3 pts province +6.9% | +1.6%/yr | |
| 8 | Mzwandile Masina | Ekurhuleni | 23 Aug 2016 – 22 Nov 2021 | +10.0% 2016 → 2021 | −1.2 pts province +11.2% | +1.9%/yr | |
| 9 | DA Helen Zille | Cape Town | 15 Mar 2006 – 13 May 2009 | +7.3% 2005 → 2008 | +0.7 pts province +6.6% | +2.4%/yr | |
| 10 | DA Herman Mashaba | Johannesburg | 22 Aug 2016 – 4 Dec 2019 | +7.1% 2016 → 2019 | +0.2 pts province +6.9% | +2.3%/yr |
Showing 10 of 23 tenures.
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last count complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that count had no data, or because the period cut it); the province is measured over the same months. Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in %; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. thousands, mid-year estimate · Statistics South Africa, mid-year population estimates by district (P0302), the metropolitan municipality, from 2002 · metropolitan municipality data · as of Apr 2026.