Living in Ladysmith

Ladysmith is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, home to 143,446 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are low-income families (top 13%, #46 of 367), young families (top 15%, #53 of 367), single parents (top 15%, #55 of 367).

Residents143,446

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport175 km (King Shaka International)

Nearest city of 100k+Itself

Within 30 km151,100 people

Terrain around itabout 1,060 m, height range 140 m

Main railway line1.2 km

Distance to Bloemfontein351 km

Within 10 km143,446 people

Winter daylight13 h 58 min, sunset 17:58

See Ladysmith on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Ladysmith

On the shortest day the sun is up for 13 h 58 min and sets around 17:58; in late June it sets around 17:12.

How Ladysmith ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in South Africa. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Regional overview: population, geography and modelled indicators for costs, schools and safety.

Profile	Score	In South Africa	In KwaZulu-Natal
Young family	61	#53 of 367	#9 of 52	Map
Low-income household	61	#90 of 578	#14 of 71	Map
Low-income family	65	#46 of 367	#6 of 52	Map
Single parent	67	#55 of 367	#7 of 52	Map
Pensioner couple	67	#202 of 367	#36 of 52	Map
Single pensioner	74	#155 of 367	#19 of 52	Map
Early retiree	65	#263 of 578	#35 of 71	Map
Single professional	53	#82 of 224	#11 of 35	Map
Young professional	57	#77 of 204	#11 of 33	Map
DINKS	54	#82 of 164	#12 of 28	Map
Remote worker	69	#142 of 578	#17 of 71	Map
Commuter	72	#76 of 212	#11 of 34	Map
Car-free household	67	#66 of 168	#11 of 29	Map
Student		not ranked: below the minimum for campus	–	Map
First-home buyer	64	#79 of 367	#13 of 52	Map
Budget-constrained mover	54	#106 of 578	#17 of 71	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	55	#68 of 186	#11 of 32	Map
Expat professional	46	#138 of 578	#25 of 71	Map
Healthcare-first mover	63	#88 of 367	#12 of 52	Map
Nature-focused household	25	#533 of 578	#66 of 71	Map
Cross-border commuter	13	#155 of 578	#19 of 71	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	14	#490 of 578	#70 of 71	Map
Rural value seeker	27	#534 of 578	#62 of 71	Map
High-net-worth mover	61	#80 of 578	#11 of 71	Map
Lottery winner	55	#96 of 578	#14 of 71	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	65	#327 of 578	#50 of 71	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	52	#157 of 578	#29 of 71	Map
Digital native	44	#85 of 233	#11 of 39	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)90
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)78
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)78
Foundation71
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)63
Flat land (terrain relief)59
Lifestyle and amenities57
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)55
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)53
Mobility and connectivity51
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)46
Jobs and economy40
Affordability40
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)21
Green space11
Education and family11
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)8
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)8
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Colenso 21 km
Winterton 37 km
Ekuvukeni 38 km
Weenen 43 km
Estcourt 51 km
Wembesi 55 km
Glencoe 56 km
Dundee 62 km

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.