South Africa is the most structurally and economically developed nation on the African continent. As such, its major cities have experienced construction booms that most other cities of similar size in Africa have not. Advanced development is significantly localised around five areas: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Bloemfontein and Pretoria/Johannesburg. However, key marginal areas have experienced rapid growth. Such areas include the Garden Route (Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay), Rustenburg area, Nelspruit area, Cape West Coast, and the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.
This list ranks South African buildings that stand at least 100abbr=onNaNabbr=on tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details.
| Name | Height (architectural) | Floors | Built | City | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 234 m (767 ft) | 55 | 2019 | Fourth tallest building in Africa and tallest in sub-Saharan Africa. The Leonardo was the tallest building on the continent for a brief period in April 2019. | |||
| Carlton Centre | 223m (732feet) | 50 | 1973 | Johannesburg | Fifth tallest building in Africa and second tallest in sub-Saharan Africa. The Carlton Centre was the tallest building in Africa for 46 years, from 1973 until 2019. | |
| Ponte City Apartments | 173m (568feet) | 54 | 1975 | Johannesburg | Tallest residential building in Africa. | |
| Marble Towers | 152m (499feet) | 32 | 1973 | Johannesburg | For a brief period in 1973, this was the tallest building in Africa. Marble Towers was the first building in South Africa to surpass the ancient and early mediaeval height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt (146.6m (481feet)). | |
| South African Reserve Bank Building | 150m (490feet) | 38 | 1988 | Pretoria | [1] Tallest building in Pretoria | |
| 88 on Field | 146m (479feet) | 26 | 1985 | [2] Tallest building in Durban Central. | ||
| Sandton City Office Tower | 141m (463feet) | 22 | 1973 | Sandton | Topped out in 2014. | |
| Michelangelo Towers | 140m (460feet) | 34 | 2005 | Sandton | The tallest single-purpose hotel in South Africa. | |
| 140m (460feet) | 32 | 1970 | Johannesburg | |||
| KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel Tower 1 | 140m (460feet) | 40 | 1970 | Johannesburg | [3] Mothballed since 1998; under its previous name, the Johannesburg Sun Hotel, it was tied with the Trust Bank Building as the tallest building in Africa from 1970 to 1973. | |
| Trust Bank Building | 140m (460feet) | 31 | 1970 | Johannesburg | [4] The Trust Bank Building was tied with the Johannesburg Sun Hotel as the tallest building in Africa from 1970 to 1973. | |
| Portside Tower | 139m (456feet) | 32 | 2014 | [5] Tallest building in Cape Town.[6] | ||
| Standard Bank Centre | 139m (456feet) | 34 | 1968 | Johannesburg | [7] The Standard Bank Centre was the tallest building in Africa from 1968 to 1970. It was the first building in South Africa taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza (138.5m (454.4feet)), which had been the continent's tallest building since its completion ca. 2600 BC. | |
| 138m (453feet) | 30 | 1973 | Johannesburg | [8] | ||
| Monte Blanc | 133m (436feet) | 40 | 1985 | Durban | [9] | |
| ABSA Tower Pretoria | 132m (433feet) | 38 | 1976 | Pretoria | [10] | |
| 130m (430feet) | 33 | 1995 | Durban | [11] | ||
| 128m (420feet) | 29 | 1976 | Johannesburg | [12] | ||
| 1 Thibault Square | 127m (417feet) | 31 | 1972 | Cape Town | [13] | |
| The Spinnaker | 124m (407feet) | 27 | 2007 | Durban | [14] | |
| 123m (404feet) | 27 | 1974 | Johannesburg | [15] | ||
| Embassy Building | 120m (390feet) | 28 | 1991 | Durban | [16] | |
| Metlife Centre | 119m (390feet) | 28 | 1993 | Cape Town | [17] | |
| 119m (390feet) | 29 | 1976 | Cape Town | [18] | ||
| Carlton Hotel | 119m (390feet) | 30 | 1973 | Johannesburg | [19] Mothballed since 1997 | |
| Southern Sun Garden Court Marine Parade (ex-Elangeni Hotel) | 118m (387feet) | 28 | 1985 | Durban | [20] | |
| Southern Sun Garden Court North Beach (ex-Maharani Hotel) | 118m (387feet) | 33 | 1978 | Durban | [21] | |
| 117m (384feet) | 34 | 1970 | Cape Town | [22] | ||
| Radiopark | 117m (384feet) | 30 | 1962 | Johannesburg | Radiopark was the tallest building in South Africa from 1962 until 1968. | |
| 16 on Bree | 118 m (387 ft) | 36 | 2021 | Cape Town | ||
| Civitas Building | 112m (367feet) | 31 | 1973 | Pretoria | ||
| 320 West Street | 111m (364feet) | 30 | 1973 | Durban | [23] | |
| Poyntons Centre | 110m (360feet) | 30 | 1968 | Pretoria | [24] | |
| 110m (360feet) | 21 | 1965 | Johannesburg | [25] | ||
| Golden Acre | 110m (360feet) | 28 | 1979 | Cape Town | [26] | |
| Protea Hotel Landmark Lodge | 110m (360feet) | 31 | 1976 | Durban | [27] | |
| The Palace | 110m (360feet) | 26 | 1986 | Durban | [28] | |
| Agricultural Union Centre | 110m (360feet) | 30 | 1968 | Pretoria | ||
| John Ross House | 109m (358feet) | 33 | 1973 | Durban | ||
| Durban Bay House | 106m (348feet) | 32 | 1986 | Durban | ||
| Southern Sun Cape Sun | 105m (344feet) | 32 | 1982 | Cape Town | [29] | |
| 105m (344feet) | 25 | 1972 | Johannesburg | [30] | ||
| Pullman Hotel (ex-Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence) | 104m (341feet) | 26 | 1993 | Cape Town | ||
| Maluti | 104m (341feet) | 33 | 1984 | Durban | ||
| Transnet Tower | 103m (338feet) | 27 | 1973 | Durban | ||
| Pearl Sky | 102m (335feet) | 31 | 2010 | Durban | ||
| 101 Victoria Embankment | 102m (335feet) | 38 | 1981 | Durban | ||
| Servamus House | 102m (335feet) | 25 | 1973 | Durban | ||
| Saambou Building | 102m (335feet) | 30 | 1951 | Pretoria | The Saambou Building was tallest building in South Africa from 1951 to 1962. | |
| Western Cape Provincial Administration Building | 101m (331feet) | 26 | 1976 | Cape Town | ||
| Loch Logan Park | 100m (300feet) | 20 | 1983 | Bloemfontein | ||
| Bowmans Gilfillan Building | 100m (300feet) | 18 | 2017 | Sandton |
This table shows South African cities with at least one skyscraper over 100 metres in height, completed.
| Rank | City | ≥100 m | ≥150 m | ≥200 m | ≥250 m | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 19 | 1 | – | – | 19 | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 13 | 2 | 2 | – | 17 | |
| 3 | Cape Town | 10 | – | – | – | 10 | |
| 4 | Pretoria | 6 | 1 | – | – | 7 | |
| 5 | Sandton | 2 | – | 1 | – | 3 | |
| 6 | Bloemfontein | 2 | – | – | – | 2 |
Johannesburg features a variety of commercial and residential buildings, so there are also a few modern buildings such as the KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel and the Trust Bank Building. The Johannesburg-Pretoria combined metropolitan area has the densest concentration of skyscrapers on the continent and one of the densest in the world.
The Leonardo is a skyscaper in the prosperous northern suburb of Sandton. At 234 m, it is the fourth-tallest building in Africa and was the tallest building on the continent from mid-April 2019 until 29 April 2019, when it was surpassed by the Great Mosque of Algiers Tower in Algeria. It remains the tallest building in South Africa, and in sub-Saharan Africa.
Carlton Centre is a skyscraper and shopping centre located in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. At 223 metres (730 ft), it was the tallest building in Africa for 46 years and stands at about half the height of the Willis Tower (the former Sears Tower) in Chicago. It was the tallest building in the southern hemisphere when originally completed, and remains the fifth-tallest building in Africa and the second-tallest in sub-Saharan Africa. The Carlton Centre has 50 floors, and is 223m (732feet) tall. The foundations of the two buildings in the complex are 3.5m (11.5feet) in diameter and extend 20m (70feet) down to the bedrock, 30m (100feet) below street level. The building houses both offices and shops, and has over 46 per cent of the floor area below ground level. A viewing deck on the 50th floor offers views of Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Ponte City is a skyscraper in the Hillbrow neighborhood of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1975 to a height of 173 m (567.6 ft), making it the tallest residential skyscraper in Africa. The 54-story building is cylindrical, with an open center allowing additional light into the apartments. The center space is known as "the core" and rises above an uneven rock floor. Ponte City was an extremely desirable address for its views over all of Johannesburg and its surroundings. The sign on top of the building is the highest and largest sign in the southern hemisphere. It advertises the South African mobile phone company Vodacom.
Marble Towers is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1973 and is 32 storeys tall. The building has an eight-storey parking garage attached to it. It has the biggest electronic sign in the Southern Hemisphere, measuring NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet). It is made out of a mixture of concrete and marble. Its main use is for commercial offices.
KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. The complex, built in 1970 originally as "The Tollman Towers" (owned by the prominent South African family), were two separate towers, one 40 stories and the other 22, linked by a four-story podium with a pool deck and a running track. The building was empty for many years as the hotel, The Johannesburg Sun, relocated to Sandton. The building was then converted to a Holiday Inn, which also quickly failed. The new KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel opened in 2001, when it hosted 3000 police officers for the world summit on sustainable development, it was owned Mark Whitehead of Whitehead Enterprises, then also soon went out of business. The building is "mothballed."
Sandton City is a shopping centre located in Sandton, Johannesburg that was built as pioneer centre in 1973. The tower was built as part of a business park for downtown Sandton, a suburb of Johannesburg. Liberty Properties announced in 2008 that Sandton City would receive a R1.77 billion upgrade. Liberty Properties Chief Executive Samuel Ogbo envisaged the complex as South Africa's very own Wall Street The redevelopment will include the construction of a 60-storey office tower, new retail and office space and residential apartments. The extension will stretch to 30000m2 and the total complex will have a gross lettable area of 158000m2.
Trust Bank Building is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1970 to a height of 140m (460feet). The building is the former head office of Trust Bank of South Africa, and as such has one of the largest bank vaults in South Africa. The building was sold in February 2003 for Rand 6.4 million (USD $640.000), which may prompt the name to be changed to that of the new tenant.
11 Diagonal Street is a skyscraper in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1984 to a height of 80m (260feet). It is designed to look like a diamond as it reflects different views of the Central Business District from each angle of the building.
Timeline of tallest buildings over 100 m (330 ft). Excludes all demolished or destroyed buildings.
| Name | City | Years as tallest | Meters | Feet | Floors | Photo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Leonardo | Sandton | 2019–present | 234 | 767 | 55 | ||
| Carlton Centre | Johannesburg | 1973–2019 | 223 | 732 | 50 | ||
| Marble Towers | Johannesburg | 1973-1973 | 152 | 499 | 32 | ||
| KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel Tower 1 | Johannesburg | 1970-1973 | 140 | 460 | 40 | ||
| Trust Bank Building | Johannesburg | 140 | 460 | 31 | |||
| Standard Bank Centre | Johannesburg | 1968-1970 | 139 | 456 | 34 | ||
| Radiopark | Johannesburg | 1962-1968 | 117 | 384 | 30 | ||
| Saambou Building | Pretoria | 1951-1962 | 102 | 335 | 30 |
This lists skyscrapers that are topped out, under construction, on hold, approved or proposed in South Africa, but are not yet completed structures . This list only includes buildings of more or equal to 100 metres.
| Name | Height m / ft | Floors | Year | City | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W Hotel & Residences | 145m (476feet) | 36 | TBC | Cape Town | Postponed | |
| Northern Lights |
| 38 | TBC | Sandton | Never Built | |
| Oceans Umhlanga Tower 1 | 125m (410feet) | 30 | TBC | Umhlanga | Under Construction | |
| Oceans Umhlanga Tower 2 | 125m (410feet) | 30 | TBC | Umhlanga | Under Construction | |
| One on Bree | 131m (430feet) | 40 | TBC | Cape Town | Proposed | |
| Radisson Blu Hotel | 112m (367feet) | 28 | 2022 | Umhlanga | Complete | |
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