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By Johnathan Erasmus
If the City of Johannesburg was a country, it would be the 13th most prosperous economy on the African continent.
South Africa remains Africa’s leading economy, according to the April 2026 IMF World Economic Outlook, with a nominal GDP of US$479 billion, or about R7.98 trillion. One of the primary contributors to that dominance is Johannesburg, which accounts for an estimated 16% of national GDP – roughly US$79 billion, or R1.31 trillion.
If Johannesburg was ranked against African countries, its nearest competitors would be Tanzania in
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