Renamed South African Towns and Their Postal Codes
Gqeberha, Makhanda, Mbombela and more: the new names of South African towns, the old names in Post Office lists, and the postal codes that stayed the same.
Many South African towns have been renamed, but their postal codes did not change. The Post Office’s code list often still uses the old name, which is why searching for the new name on some sites finds nothing. On ZarPostalCodes you can search for either name.
Renamed towns at a glance
Eastern Cape
Gqeberha became the official name of Port Elizabeth in 2021. Kariega replaced Uitenhage and Qonce replaced King William’s Town at the same time. The wider metro is called Nelson Mandela Bay. Central Gqeberha keeps the codes it always had: 6001 for street addresses and 6000 for PO Boxes. Our Gqeberha postal codes guide lists the suburbs.
Makhanda replaced Grahamstown in 2018, and Mthatha is the official spelling of the town once written as Umtata.
Mpumalanga and Limpopo
Mbombela, formerly Nelspruit, is the capital of Mpumalanga, and Polokwane, formerly Pietersburg, is the capital of Limpopo. Several other Limpopo towns are now known by new names in everyday use: Bela-Bela (Warmbaths), Mokopane (Potgietersrus), Musina (Messina), Modimolle (Nylstroom) and Lephalale (Ellisras). In Mpumalanga, Witbank is widely known as eMalahleni, the name of its municipality.
North West
Mahikeng is the current spelling of the provincial capital, which you will still see written as Mafikeng. It uses the postal code 2745.
Which name should you write on mail?
Either name will reach the right place, because the postal code decides the route. Using the current official name is good practice, especially on business documents. What matters most is that the suburb and the four-digit code are correct. If you are unsure of a code, search for the town by its old or new name:
Frequently asked questions
What is the postal code for Gqeberha?
Central Gqeberha uses 6001 for street addresses and 6000 for PO Boxes, the same codes listed under Port Elizabeth. Suburbs have their own codes, for example Walmer uses 6070.
Did postal codes change when towns were renamed?
No. Renaming a town does not change its postal codes, and the Post Office’s list often keeps the old name.
What is the postal code for Makhanda?
Makhanda, listed as Grahamstown, uses 6139 for street addresses and 6140 for PO Boxes.