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Emmaus

Moderate

Pietermaritzburg, Free State

Peri Urban
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Mixed fit Based on 7 scored dimensions
Best reasons
90
Safety — 871 reported incidents in the latest period
86
Affordability
80
Schools — 12 schools within range
Trade-offs
12
Lifestyle
15
Amenities — 2 amenities mapped nearby
Is Emmaus right for you?

Emmaus stands out for low crime and schools nearby, with the trade-off of high prices for local incomes and limited public transport.

What is good here

  • Crime is lower than in most areas.
  • There are more schools within reach than in most areas.

Things to weigh up

  • Homes are expensive compared with local incomes.
  • Public transport is limited, so you will probably need a car.
  • Shops and everyday services are thin on the ground.
  • It is quiet, with little to do nearby.
  • Property prices have been weaker than in most areas.

Who it suits

  • Families with children Could work

    Low crime and schools nearby, but fewer shops and services.

  • Young professionals and renters Less suited

    Limited public transport, fewer shops and services and little to do nearby.

  • Retirees and a quieter life Could work

    Low crime, but fewer shops and services.

  • Living without a car Less suited

    Limited public transport and fewer shops and services.

  • Buying on a budget Less suited

    High prices for local incomes and weak property prices.

Compared with nearby areas

In Pietermaritzburg In South Africa
Safety Among the best Among the best
Affordability About average Below most
Schools Among the best Better than most
Transport Among the lowest Among the lowest
Amenities Below most Below most
Lifestyle Among the lowest Among the lowest
Property Confidence Below most Among the lowest
What's happening
Local & city news, notices and alerts
WEATHER TODAY: Upington 40°C and Kimberley 39°C as the heat wave holds South African
Weather for Wednesday: Mahikeng, Rustenburg, Klerksdorp and Kroonstad reach 36°C, while Cape Town stays cloudy and mild at 24°C and Durban settles at 27°C.
1 day ago Read article
Electricity tariffs in three metros unlawful, Nersa admits Moneyweb
Court considering how to compensate electricity users who overpaid.
1 day ago Read article
BREAKING: Olympic icon Tatjana Smith quits Team SA to swim for another country Iol
Four-time Olympic medallist Tatjana Smith has confirmed she will leave Team SA behind to represent the Netherlands on the international stage.
1 day ago Read article
BREAKING: Olympic icon Tatjana Smith quits Team SA to swim for another country Pretoria News
South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, Tatjana Smith, has announced a dramatic switch of sporting allegiance ahead of the LA 2028 Games.
1 day ago Read article
BREAKING: Olympic icon Tatjana Smith quits Team SA to swim for another country Business Report
South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, Tatjana Smith, has announced a dramatic switch of sporting allegiance ahead of the LA 2028 Games.
1 day ago Read article
Data confidence
High coverage
82

Coverage confidence reflects geographic matching, source authority, freshness, record coverage, and demographic alignment. It is not a liveability score.

geography
25 pts
source authority
20 pts
freshness
20 pts
record coverage
12 pts
demographic alignment
5 pts
Verified schools
9 inside · 3 nearby
Official school register
School · verified 2026-09-22
Source
Score dashboard
SAPS 2022-2023 · OSM Nov 2026 · modelled
90
Safety
Excellent
2022-2023
86
Affordability
Excellent
modelled
80
Schools
Good
2020
18
Transport
Weak
Nov 2026
15
Amenities
Weak
Nov 2026
12
Lifestyle
Weak
Nov 2026
64
Property Confidence
About average
RPPI 2010-2023
What these scores mean for Emmaus

Each score is out of 100. Higher is better for you: a high affordability score means cheaper relative to local incomes, and a high safety score means less crime. Comparisons are with other areas in the same country.

Safety: 90/100 · Excellent
Scores 90 out of 100, which is excellent and better than 93% of areas in South Africa. In practice, reported crime is low for its size. What it measures: How safe the area is, from reported crime adjusted for population, with burglary and robbery counting most. How it is worked out: Severity-weighted reported crime per 1,000 residents vs the urban benchmark. Burglary and robbery are weighted heavily. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: SAPS crime statistics (SAPACR 2008–2023) (2022-2023).
Affordability: 86/100 · Excellent
Scores 86 out of 100, which is excellent and lower than 99% of areas in South Africa. In practice, rent takes a reasonable share of local incomes. What it measures: How average rent compares with what households here typically earn. How it is worked out: Average rent as a share of median monthly income. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: Stats SA income & rental index (modelled).
Schools: 80/100 · Good
Scores 80 out of 100, which is good and better than 68% of areas in South Africa. In practice, there is a good choice of schools nearby. What it measures: How many primary and secondary schools are within reach. How it is worked out: Real schools within range by phase (primary/secondary/pre-primary), weighted toward secondary. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: DBE National Masterlist of Schools (2020) (2020).
Transport: 18/100 · Weak
Scores 18 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 99% of areas in South Africa. In practice, you will probably need a car for most trips. What it measures: Access to public transport stops, stations and main roads. How it is worked out: Density of public-transport stops and stations. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OpenStreetMap transport nodes (Nov 2026).
Amenities: 15/100 · Weak
Scores 15 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 76% of areas in South Africa. In practice, you may need to travel for everyday shopping and services. What it measures: Everyday places nearby, such as shops, pharmacies, clinics and banks. How it is worked out: Daily-convenience density: shops, food, healthcare, community. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OpenStreetMap & Google Places (Nov 2026).
Lifestyle: 12/100 · Weak
Scores 12 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 99% of areas in South Africa. In practice, it is a quieter area with fewer places to go out. What it measures: Places to eat, relax and spend free time, such as restaurants, parks and gyms. How it is worked out: Parks, food culture, and community sentiment once reviews accrue. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OSM green space + resident sentiment (Nov 2026).
Property Confidence: 64/100 · About average
Scores 64 out of 100, which is about average and lower than 98% of areas in South Africa. What it measures: How much reliable property data we have and how stable prices look. How it is worked out: Directional year-on-year price movement — not a valuation. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: Stats SA Residential Property Price Index (RPPI 2010-2023).
Full scoring method
Flood & earthquake history
🌊 Flood: None on record
🌍 Earthquake: None on record
See details

Municipal service delivery

Real Stats SA General Household Survey (GHS 2022) — based on 1,290 households surveyed. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Flush toilet access
78%
Pit/bucket toilet (backlog)
20%
Has electricity
96%
Regular refuse removal
65%
Water interruptions (past yr)
62%
Less happy than last year
39%
What residents are complaining about

% of households reporting each problem as present in their area.

Illegal rubbish dumping 60%
Littering 57%
Water pollution 29%
Air pollution 25%
Land degradation 51%
Noise pollution 24%

Source: Stats SA GHS 2022.

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Local services in Emmaus

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Visiting Emmaus

No attractions near here have been checked and published yet.

Load-shedding
No load-shedding
National status
✓ No load-shedding
Area-specific schedule not available for this suburb yet.
National status shown above. We're working on matching all suburbs.
Data via EskomSePush · Updates every 15 minutes
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Related guides
Is Emmaus safe? Safest in Pietermaritzburg Most affordable in Pietermaritzburg Best for families in Pietermaritzburg

NeighbourhoodIQ is an information service, not legal or financial advice. Scores are computed from public data and are indicative only. Crime data: SAPS. Demographics: Stats SA. Amenities: OpenStreetMap contributors.

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