List of tallest buildings in South Africa

South Africa is the most structurally and economically developed nation on the African continent. As such, its major cities have experienced construction booms, unlike most other cities of similar size in Africa. 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.

Tallest buildings

This list ranks South African buildings that stand at least tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details. Name Image Height (architectural) Floors Built City NotesThe Leonardo 234 m (767 ft) 55 2019 Sandton 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 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 541975 Johannesburg Second-tallest residential building in Africa, and tallest in sub-Saharan Africa.Marble Towers 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 ().Radiopark 33 1975 Johannesburg South African Reserve Bank Building 381988Pretoria Tallest building in Pretoria88 on Field 26 1985 Durban Tallest building in Durban Central. Sandton City Office Tower 22 1973 Sandton Topped out in 2014.Michelangelo Towers 34 2005 Sandton The tallest single-purpose hotel in South Africa. ABSA Tower 32 1970 Johannesburg KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel Tower 1 40 1970 Johannesburg 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 31 1970 Johannesburg The Trust Bank Building was tied with the Johannesburg Sun Hotel as the tallest building in Africa from 1970 to 1973.Portside Tower 32 2014 Cape Town Tallest building in Cape Town.Standard Bank Centre 34 1968 Johannesburg 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 (), which had been the continent's tallest structure from its completion ca. 2600 BC until overtaken by Cairo Tower in 1961. Southern Life Centre 30 1973 Johannesburg Monte Blanc 40 1985 Durban ABSA Tower Pretoria 38 1976 Pretoria Old Mutual Centre 33 1995 Durban UCS Building 29 1976 Johannesburg 1 Thibault Square 31 1972 Cape Town Oceans Umhlanga North Tower 125 m (410 ft)302025uMhlangaSituated on Lagoon Drive, the tower adds 258 luxury residential units to the precinct, including studios, four-bedroom apartments, and penthouses. All units have ocean-facing views and direct access to Oceans Mall. The Spinnaker 272007Durban Kine Centre 27 1974 Johannesburg Embassy Building 28 1991 Durban Metlife Centre 281993Cape Town Atterbury House 29 1976 Cape Town Carlton Hotel 30 1973 Johannesburg Mothballed since 1997 Southern Sun Garden Court Marine Parade (ex-Elangeni Hotel) 28 1985 Durban Southern Sun Garden Court North Beach (ex-Maharani Hotel) 33 1978 Durban Foreshore Place 34 1970 Cape Town 16 on Bree 36 2021 Cape Town Radisson Blu Hotel 28 2022 uMhlanga Civitas Building 311973Pretoria 320 West Street 30 1973 Durban Poyntons Centre 30 1968 Pretoria Schlesinger Building 21 1965 Johannesburg The Schlesinger Building was the tallest building in Africa from 1965 to 1968. Golden Acre 28 1979 Cape Town Protea Hotel Landmark Lodge 31 1976 Durban The Palace 26 1986 Durban Agricultural Union Centre 301968 Pretoria John Ross House 331973DurbanPwC Tower 106 m (348ft)262018MidrandDurban Bay House 321986Durban Southern Sun Cape Sun 32 1982 Cape Town Highpoint Hillbrow 25 1972 Johannesburg Pullman Hotel (ex-Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence) 26 1993 Cape Town Maluti 331984DurbanTransnet Tower 271973DurbanPearl Sky 312010uMhlanga101 Victoria Embankment 381981DurbanServamus House 251973DurbanSaambou Building 301974PretoriaRissik Street Post Office 41897Johannesburg The historical Rissik Street Post Office was the tallest building in Africa from 1897 until 1965.Western Cape Provincial Legislature Building 261976Cape TownLoch Logan Park 201983BloemfonteinBowmans Gilfillan Building 182017Sandton

Cities with the most skyscrapers This table shows South African cities with at least one skyscraper over 100 metres in height, completed. RankCity≥100 m≥150 m≥200 m≥250 mTotal1Durban201––202Johannesburg1322–173Cape Town10–––104Pretoria61––75Sandton2–1–36Bloemfontein2–––2

Notable buildings in Johannesburg 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 tall. The foundations of the two buildings in the complex are in diameter and extend down to the bedrock, 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 . 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 and the total complex will have a gross lettable area of .

Trust Bank Building is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1970 to a height of . 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 (US$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 . 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 in South Africa Timeline of the tallest buildings in South Africa. Excludes all demolished or destroyed buildings. NameCityYears as tallestMetersFeetFloorsPhotoThe LeonardoSandton2019–present23476755Carlton CentreJohannesburg1973–201922373250Marble TowersJohannesburg1973-197315249932KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel Tower 1Johannesburg1970-197314046040Trust Bank BuildingJohannesburg14046031Standard Bank CentreJohannesburg1968-197013945634Schlesinger BuildingJohannesburg1965-196811036121Rissik Street Post OfficeJohannesburg1910-19621023354

Tallest topped out, under construction, approved, and on hold

This lists skyscrapers that are topped out, under construction, on hold, or approved in South Africa, but are not yet completed structures . This list only includes buildings of more or equal to 100 metres.

NameHeightm / ft Floors Year City StatusOceans Umhlanga South Tower302027UmhlangaUnder ConstructionOne on Bree412028Cape TownUnder Construction*Rough estimate from CTBUH. The actual height of this building has not been announced yet.

List of tallest buildings in South Africa

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