| # | City | Bortle (est.) | Brightness | 2 classes darker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 8–9 | 255 | ~50 km SW |
| 2 | Pretoria | 8–9 | 255 | ~25 km NE |
| 3 | Benoni | 8–9 | 255 | ~25 km NE |
| 4 | Soweto | 8–9 | 255 | ~25 km SW |
| 5 | Thembisa | 8–9 | 255 | ~25 km E |
| 6 | Diepsloot | 8–9 | 246 | ~25 km WNW |
| 7 | Krugersdorp | 8–9 | 254 | ~25 km N |
| 8 | Soshanguve | 8–9 | 247 | ~25 km NW |
| 9 | Vereeniging | 8–9 | 251 | ~25 km ESE |
| 10 | Durban | 8–9 | 255 | ~25 km E |
| 11 | Rustenburg | 8–9 | 255 | ~25 km WSW |
| 12 | Evaton | 8–9 | 218 | ~25 km WSW |
| 13 | Bloemfontein | 7–8 | 255 | ~25 km NW |
| 14 | Polokwane | 7–8 | 255 | ~25 km SSW |
| 15 | Cape Town | 7–8 | 255 | ~25 km WNW |
| 16 | Emalahleni | 7–8 | 240 | ~25 km NNW |
| 17 | Pietermaritzburg | 7–8 | 242 | ~25 km NNW |
| 18 | Gqeberha | 7–8 | 252 | ~25 km ESE |
| 19 | Klerksdorp | 7–8 | 238 | ~25 km NNE |
| 20 | Somerset West | 7–8 | 220 | ~25 km SSW |
| 21 | Welkom | 7–8 | 236 | ~25 km SW |
| 22 | Botshabelo | 7–8 | 252 | ~25 km SSW |
| 23 | East London | 7–8 | 249 | ~25 km ESE |
| 24 | Newcastle | 7–8 | 253 | ~25 km S |
| 25 | Richards Bay | 7–8 | 254 | ~25 km SSE |
| 26 | Kariega | 7–8 | 250 | ~25 km WSW |
| 27 | Paarl | 7–8 | 236 | ~25 km ESE |
| 28 | Mdantsane | 7–8 | 190 | ~25 km S |
Brightness is the NASA VIIRS Black Marble 2016 value at the city centre on a 0–255 scale; 255 is saturated. Cities are ordered by estimated sky brightness, which also counts the light within 30 km.