Living in Polokwane

Polokwane is a city in Limpopo, South Africa, home to 272,461 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are single parents (top 5%, #16 of 367), people who put healthcare first (top 5%, #16 of 367), low-income families (top 5%, #17 of 367).

Residents272,461

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport7 km (Polokwane International)

Nearest city of 100k+Itself

Within 30 km332,900 people

Climate typeHot semi-arid (BSh)

Terrain around itabout 1,260 m, height range 140 m

Main railway line17.5 km

Distance to Bloemfontein663 km

Within 10 km272,461 people

Winter daylight13 h 37 min, sunset 17:49

See Polokwane on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Polokwane

On the shortest day the sun is up for 13 h 37 min and sets around 17:49; in late June it sets around 17:24.

How Polokwane 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 Limpopo
Young family	58	#98 of 367	#9 of 28	Map
Low-income household	71	#44 of 578	#1 of 42	Map
Low-income family	68	#17 of 367	#1 of 28	Map
Single parent	70	#16 of 367	#1 of 28	Map
Pensioner couple	66	#235 of 367	#10 of 28	Map
Single pensioner	76	#115 of 367	#4 of 28	Map
Early retiree	62	#472 of 578	#36 of 42	Map
Single professional	69	#46 of 224	#1 of 12	Map
Young professional	72	#45 of 204	#1 of 12	Map
DINKS	69	#50 of 164	#1 of 9	Map
Remote worker	77	#64 of 578	#1 of 42	Map
Commuter	82	#47 of 212	#1 of 12	Map
Car-free household	77	#34 of 168	#1 of 8	Map
Student	0	#53 of 74	#3 of 4	Map
First-home buyer	70	#45 of 367	#1 of 28	Map
Budget-constrained mover	69	#37 of 578	#1 of 42	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	69	#38 of 186	#1 of 11	Map
Expat professional	72	#43 of 578	#1 of 42	Map
Healthcare-first mover	85	#16 of 367	#1 of 28	Map
Nature-focused household	17	#550 of 578	#42 of 42	Map
Cross-border commuter	21	#52 of 578	#2 of 42	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	12	#512 of 578	#40 of 42	Map
Rural value seeker	23	#549 of 578	#42 of 42	Map
High-net-worth mover	67	#52 of 578	#1 of 42	Map
Lottery winner	74	#36 of 578	#1 of 42	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	63	#397 of 578	#14 of 42	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	77	#57 of 578	#1 of 42	Map
Digital native	57	#45 of 233	#1 of 13	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Mobility and connectivity100
Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Foundation91
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)75
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)74
Lifestyle and amenities72
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)66
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)60
Flat land (terrain relief)59
Jobs and economy56
Affordability50
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)36
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)22
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)21
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)9
Green space6
Education and family6
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)4
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)4
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

Mankweng 24 km
Sebayeng 26 km
Mankoeng 35 km
Lebowakgomo 46 km
Mathibela 48 km
GaSekhaolelo 50 km
Mokopane 57 km
Tzaneen 71 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.