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 that most other cities of similar size in Africa have not. Advanced development is significantly localised around four areas: Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

, Port Elizabeth, Durban

Durban

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

, and Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

/Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

. Beyond these four economic centres, development is marginal and poverty is still prevalent despite government efforts. Consequently the vast majority of South Africans are poor. However, key marginal areas have experienced rapid growth recently. Such areas include Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay is a harbour town of about 130,000 people on the Southern Cape of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province...

to Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29149 population...

; Rustenburg area; Nelspruit

Nelspruit

Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...

area; Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...

; Cape West Coast; and the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.

The tallest building currently under construction is 'Portside' in Cape Town, at 139 m (456 ft) tall. This new development will be the tallest built in South Africa since the end of the apartheid era. Many other construction proposals are currently on the table such as the possibly supertall "Sandton City Tower 1" which could potentially between 230 and 310 meters tall. The city of Johannesburg is presently looking into high density highrise village projects which, if approved, could transform the skyline of Johannesburg in coming years.

Tallest buildings

This list ranks South African skyscrapers that stand at least 100 m (328 ft) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts.

Building	Pinnacle Height	Floors	Year	City
Building	Pinnacle Height	Floors	Year	City	Notes
Carlton Centre Carlton Centre The Carlton Centre is a skyscraper and shopping centre located in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. At , it has been the tallest building in Africa for 38 years. The Carlton Centre has 50 floors. The foundations of the two buildings in the complex are 3.5m in diameter and extend 20m down to the...	223 m (731.6 ft)	50	1973	Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...	Tallest building in South Africa and on the Continent of Africa.
Ponte City Apartments Ponte City Apartments Ponte City is a skyscraper in the Hillbrow neighbourhood of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1975 to a height of , 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...	173 m (567.6 ft)	54	1975	Johannesburg	Tallest residential building in Africa.
Marble Towers Marble Towers The 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 44 metres by 32...	152 m (498.7 ft)	32	1973	Johannesburg
Pearl Dawn	152 m (498.7 ft)	31	2010	Umhlanga	Currently the tallest building outside a downtown CBD area in South Africa. Part of the Pearls of Umhlanga Development.
South African Reserve Bank Building South African Reserve Bank The South African Reserve Bank is the central bank of South Africa. It was established in 1921 after Parliament passed an act, the "Currency and Bank Act of 10 August 1920," as a direct result of the abnormal monetary and financial conditions which World War I had brought...	150 m (492.1 ft)	38	1988	Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...	Tallest building in Pretoria
Metlife Centre	150 m (492.1 ft)	28	1993	Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...	Currently the tallest building in Cape Town.
88 on Field	147 m (482.3 ft)	26	1985	Durban	Currently the tallest building in Durban.
KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel Tower 1 KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel 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" , 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...	140 m (459.3 ft)	40	1970	Johannesburg	Mothballed since 1998.
Michelangelo Towers	140 m (459.3 ft)	34	2005	Sandton	Tallest building in Sandton.
Trust Bank Building Trust Bank Building Trust Bank Building is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1970 to a height of 140 metres. 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...	140 m (459.3 ft)	34	1970	Johannesburg
Standard Bank Centre Standard Bank Centre The Standard Bank Centre is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1968 and is 139 metres tall. The building was built from the top down, meaning that after the central core was built, the floors were suspended from cantilevered arms with the...	139 m (456 ft)	34	1968	Johannesburg
Southern Life Centre Southern Life Centre The Southern Life Centre is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1973 to a height of .- References :*. Retrieved 11 February 2008....	138 m (452.8 ft)	30	1973	Johannesburg
Monte Blanc	133 m (436.4 ft)	40	1985	Durban
ABSA Tower Pretoria	132 m (433.1 ft)	38	1976	Pretoria
Old Mutual Centre	130 m (426.5 ft)	33	1995	Durban
Pearl Breeze	128 m (419.9 ft)	25	2010	Umhlanga	Part of the Pearls of Umhlanga Development.
UCS Building UCS Building The UCS Building is a skyscraper in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1976 to a height of 128 metres. The building is the former headquarters of French oil company Total Elf Fina, and as such is formerly known as Total House...	128 m (419.9 ft)	29	1976	Johannesburg
1 Thibault Square	127 m (416.7 ft)	31	1972	Cape Town
Kine Centre Kine Centre The Kine Centre is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1974 to a height of 123 metres. The building has 25 floors of office space, several large stores, a cinema that seats 400 people, and two levels of underground parking. The building also...	123 m (403.5 ft)	27	1974	Johannesburg
Embassy Building	120 m (393.7 ft)	28	1991	Durban
Atterbury House	119 m (390.4 ft)	29	1976	Cape Town
Carlton Hotel	119 m (390.4 ft)	30	1973	Johannesburg	Mothballed since 1997
Southern Sun Garden Court Marine Parade	118 m (387.1 ft)	28	1985	Durban	Currently the tallest hotel in operation in South Africa
Southern Sun Court North Beach	118 m (387.1 ft)	33	1978	Durban
ABSA Centre Cape Town	117 m (383.9 ft)	33	1970	Durban
The Spinnaker	117 m (383.9 ft)	27	2007	Durban
320 West Street	111 m (364.2 ft)	30	1973	Durban
Poyntons Centre	110 m (360.9 ft)	30	1968	Pretoria
Schlesinger Building Schlesinger Building The Schlesinger Building is a skyscraper in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1965 to a height of 110 metres.- References :*. Retrieved 11 February 2008....	110 m (360.9 ft)	21	1965	Johannesburg
Golden Acre	110 m (360.9 ft)	28	1979	Cape Town
Protea Hotel Landmark Lodge	110 m (360.9 ft)	31	1976	Durban
The Parade	110 m (360.9 ft)	30	1986	Durban
Southern Sun Cape Sun	105 m (344.5 ft)	32	1982	Cape Town
Highpoint Hillbrow Highpoint Hillbrow Highpoint Hillbrow is a skyscraper in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1972 to a height of 105 metres. The building is mostly apartments built on top of a large shopping centre and cinema.- References :*. Retrieved 11 February 2008....	105 m (344.5 ft)	25	1972	Johannesburg
Deneys Reitz Deneys Reitz Deneys Reitz , son of Francis William Reitz, was a Boer soldier, later a South African soldier in the First World War, and a politician....	100 m (328.1 ft)	24	2010	Johannesburg

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

KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel

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" , 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...

and the Trust Bank Building

Trust Bank Building

Trust Bank Building is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1970 to a height of 140 metres. 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 Johannesburg-Pretoria combined metropolitan area has the densest concentration of skyscrapers on the continent and one of the densest in the world.
Carlton Centre is a skyscraper and shopping centre located in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. At 223 metres (730 ft), it is the tallest building in Africa and 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. The Carlton Centre has 50 floors, and is 223m tall, about 40m short of featuring in the world's top 100 skyscrapers. The foundations of the two buildings in the complex are 3.5m in diameter and extend 20m down to the bedrock, 30m below street level. The building houses both offices and shops, and has over 46 per cent of the floor area below ground level.[1] 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.[1] It currently advertises the South African mobile phone company Vodacom

Vodacom

Vodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...

.

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 44 metres by 32 metres by 12 metres. 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 currently "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 an 60-storey office tower, new retail and office space and residential apartments. The extension will stretch to 30 000 m2 and the total complex will have a gross lettable area of 158 000 m2.

Trust Bank Building is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1970 to a height of 140 metres. 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 recently 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 80 metres. 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

Name	City	Years as Tallest	Metres	Feet	Floors
Carlton Centre Carlton Centre The Carlton Centre is a skyscraper and shopping centre located in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. At , it has been the tallest building in Africa for 38 years. The Carlton Centre has 50 floors. The foundations of the two buildings in the complex are 3.5m in diameter and extend 20m down to the...	Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...	1973–present	223	732	50
KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel 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" , 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... Tower 1	Johannesburg		140	459	40
Trust Bank Building Trust Bank Building Trust Bank Building is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1970 to a height of 140 metres. 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...	Johannesburg	1970	140	459	34
Standard Bank Centre Standard Bank Centre The Standard Bank Centre is a skyscraper in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1968 and is 139 metres tall. The building was built from the top down, meaning that after the central core was built, the floors were suspended from cantilevered arms with the...	Johannesburg	1968–1970	138.8	455	34
Schlesinger Building Schlesinger Building The Schlesinger Building is a skyscraper in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1965 to a height of 110 metres.- References :*. Retrieved 11 February 2008....	Johannesburg	1965–1968	110	361	21

Tallest under construction, approved and proposed

This lists skyscrapers that are under construction, approved or proposed in South Africa and planned to rise over 100 m (328 ft) tall, but are not yet completed structures. there is 1 building under construction and 20 high-rises planned.
Under construction, Approved, and Proposed>

Name	Height m / ft	Floors	Year	City	Status	Notes
The Throne	~350 m (1,148.3 ft)	~100	~2020	Cape Town	Vision	If built, this will be the tallest building in South Africa.
Sandton City Tower 1	~290 m (951.4 ft)	80	~2020	Sandton	Proposed	Upon completion, this building would become the tallest residential building in Africa. Part of the Sandton City Sandton City Sandton City is a shopping centre located in Sandton, Johannesburg that was built as pioneer centre in 1973.-Redevelopment:Liberty Properties announced in 2008 that Sandton City would receive a R1.77 billion upgrade... redevelopment project.
Sandton City Tower 2	~180 m (590.6 ft)	50	~2020	Sandton	Proposed	Part of the Sandton City redevelopment project.
Mutual Place	~180 m (590.6 ft)	~41	2015	Sandton	Proposed
Portside Tower Portside Tower The Portside Tower is a 139 metre skyscraper currently under construction in Cape Town, South Africa. Once completed in 2014 it will be the tallest building in Cape Town and will be the first skyscaper to be built in Cape Town in the past 15 years....	139 m (456 ft)	32	2014	Cape Town	Under Construction	Upon completion, this building will become the tallest in Cape Town. First major skyscraper to be constructed in the post-apartheid era.
Langa Sun Hotel	135 m (442.9 ft)	32	2016	Durban	Proposed

Tallest buildings

Notable buildings in Johannesburg

Timeline of tallest buildings

Tallest under construction, approved and proposed

See also