Municipality profile, KZN286

Nkandla

Nkandla is a local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. Census 2022 counted 108 896 people in 16 254 households, about 6.7 people per household. That is down 4.8% from 114 416 people in Census 2011. 55.8% of households lived in a formal dwelling and 16.7% had a flush toilet. It has the 34th largest population of the 44 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.

KwaZulu-Natal. Category B4 in the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Framework.

People counted in Census 2022

108 896

Down 4.8% from 114 416 people in Census 2011.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, page 25. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Census 2011 and Census 2022

Nkandla: Census 2011 and Census 2022 figures, with the change
Measure	2011	2022	Change
Population	114 416	108 896	-4.8%
Households	22 460	16 254	-27.6%
People per household	5.1	6.7	+1.6
Males per 100 females	79.4	83.4	+4.0
Aged 0 to 14	40.3%	35.5%	-4.8 pts
Aged 15 to 34	33.7%	32.0%	-1.7 pts
Aged 60 and over	8.8%	10.1%	+1.3 pts
Households in a formal dwelling	31.8%	55.8%	+24.0 pts
Households in an informal dwelling	0.4%	0.9%	+0.5 pts
Households with water from a regional or local scheme	39.4%	46.3%	+6.9 pts
Households with a flush toilet	9.3%	16.7%	+7.4 pts
Households with no toilet	12.2%	2.5%	-9.7 pts
Households cooking with electricity	23.2%	53.9%	+30.7 pts
Households cooking with gas	4.1%	15.0%	+10.9 pts
Attending school (ages 5 to 24)	41 358	33 442	-19.1%

Change is SA Data Hub's calculation from the two figures: a percentage change for counts, and the difference in percentage points (pts) for shares. Cooking shares are of households that named a cooking fuel; Stats SA leaves out “none”.

The 2011 and 2022 figures cover the same area. Stats SA, Census 2022 Municipal fact sheet (Report no. 03-01-82, revised), page 1: “Census 2011 indicators were generated based on aligned census data to current municipal boundaries (2021)”.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, page 25; Distribution of population by broad age groups, KwaZulu-Natal, page 27; General housing information per municipality (1), KwaZulu-Natal, page 29; General housing information per municipality (2), KwaZulu-Natal, page 31. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

See how all municipalities changed between Census 2011 and Census 2022

Compare with another place

Questions people ask: Which province is a municipality in? · Which municipalities grew fastest between Census 2011 and Census 2022? · How many municipalities are there in South Africa?

People

Males: 49 517
Females: 59 379
Males per 100 females: 83.4
Attending school (ages 5 to 24): 33 442

The largest age group in Nkandla in 2022 was aged 0 to 14, at 35.5% of people.

Aged 0 to 1435.5%
40.3% in 2011
Aged 15 to 3432.0%
33.7% in 2011
Aged 35 to 5922.5%
17.2% in 2011
Aged 60 and over10.1%
8.8% in 2011

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), Person indicators per municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, page 25; Distribution of population by broad age groups, KwaZulu-Natal, page 27. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Housing

Census 2022 counted 16 254 households, with about 6.7 people in each. In 2011 there were 22 460, with about 5.1 people in each.

55.8% of households in Nkandla lived in a formal dwelling in 2022.

Formal dwelling55.8%
9 075 households
Informal dwelling0.9%
143 households
Traditional dwelling43.1%
7 010 households
Other0.2%
27 households

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (1), KwaZulu-Natal, page 29. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

Water, toilets and cooking

16.7% of households in Nkandla had a flush toilet in 2022, and 53.9% cooked with electricity.

Water from a regional or local scheme46.3%
7 523 households. 39.4% in 2011.
Flush toilet16.7%
2 719 households. 9.3% in 2011.
No toilet2.5%
407 households. 12.2% in 2011.
Electricity for cooking53.9%
8 757 households. 23.2% in 2011.
Gas for cooking15.0%
2 429 households. 4.1% in 2011.

Shares of households. Cooking shares are of households that named a cooking fuel. Water from another source includes boreholes, tankers, rivers and springs.

Source: Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43), General housing information per municipality (2), KwaZulu-Natal, page 31. Originally released 10 October 2023, revised edition. Downloaded 27 October 2026. Checked on SA Data Hub 28 October 2026. Original data: Stats SA. Any calculation shown is SA Data Hub's own processing.

How it compares

Population, 2022: Nkandla108 896; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal282 362Nkandla has 61.4% fewer people; Average per municipality in South Africa291 209Nkandla has 62.6% fewer people
People per household: Nkandla6.7; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal5.0Nkandla has 1.7 more people per household; Average per municipality in South Africa3.9Nkandla has 2.8 more people per household
Households in a formal dwelling: Nkandla55.8%; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal81.7%Nkandla is 25.9 pts lower; Average per municipality in South Africa87.0%Nkandla is 31.2 pts lower
Water from a regional or local scheme: Nkandla46.3%; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal60.4%Nkandla is 14.1 pts lower; Average per municipality in South Africa74.3%Nkandla is 28.0 pts lower
Households with a flush toilet: Nkandla16.7%; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal38.4%Nkandla is 21.7 pts lower; Average per municipality in South Africa62.0%Nkandla is 45.3 pts lower
Electricity for cooking: Nkandla53.9%; Average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal67.0%Nkandla is 13.1 pts lower; Average per municipality in South Africa66.0%Nkandla is 12.1 pts lower

Each average is the simple mean of the municipal figures, so a small municipality counts as much as a large one. Gaps between shares are in percentage points (pts).

55.8% of households lived in a formal dwelling, 25.9 pts below the average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.
16.7% of households had a flush toilet, 21.7 pts below the average per municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

Similar municipalities

The 4 other municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal whose Census 2022 population is closest to Nkandla's (108 896). Where two are equally close, the lower municipal code comes first.

Sources

Every 2011 and 2022 figure on this page is from Stats SA, Census 2022 Provinces at a glance (Report no. 03-01-43, revised edition, originally released 10 October 2023), which gives Census 2011 figures alongside Census 2022 ones. Tables for Nkandla: Person indicators per municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, page 25; Distribution of population by broad age groups, KwaZulu-Natal, page 27; General housing information per municipality (1), KwaZulu-Natal, page 29; General housing information per municipality (2), KwaZulu-Natal, page 31. SA Data Hub checked them against the publication on 28 October 2026.

Changes, shares of the total, averages and similar municipalities are SA Data Hub's own calculations from those figures. Corrections are listed on the updates page.