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39
/ 100

Flagstaff

Needs caution

Mthatha, KwaZulu-Natal

Mixed Use
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Poor fit Based on 7 scored dimensions
Best reasons
86
Affordability
82
Schools — 18 schools within range
Trade-offs
0
Safety — 1,499 reported incidents in the latest period
12
Lifestyle
Is Flagstaff right for you?

Flagstaff stands out for schools nearby, with the trade-off of higher crime and high prices for local incomes.

What is good here

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

Things to weigh up

  • Crime is higher than in most areas, so read the safety section before deciding.
  • 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.

Who it suits

  • Families with children Less suited

    Schools nearby, but higher crime and 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 Less suited

    Higher crime and 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.

Compared with nearby areas

In Mthatha In South Africa
Safety Among the lowest Among the lowest
Affordability Below most Below most
Schools Among the best Among the best
Transport Below most Among the lowest
Amenities About average Below most
Lifestyle Below most Among the lowest
Property Confidence Better than most About average
What's happening
Local & city news, notices and alerts
Judge’s lawyer says racism complaint was an “act of reprisal” Ebnewsdaily
Thozamile Semekazi testifies before the Judicial Conduct Tribunal on Tuesday. Photo: The South African Judiciary/Facebook Judge Belinda Hartle’s lawyers say a clerk’s complaint that she swore at him and used the “k-word” is revenge for an article her husband wrote. The article referred to an anonymous letter in which the clerk, Thozamile Semekazi, was accused […]
1 day ago Read article
WEATHER TODAY: Upington swelters at 39°C, Bloemfontein and Kroonstad 35°C South African
Weather for Tuesday: Paarl reaches 34°C while Cape Town stays at 28°C and George a mild 23°C under high cloud. No rain is expected anywhere in the country.
2 days ago Read article
Judge accused of racism by court registrar Ebnewsdaily
Eastern Cape Judge Belinda Hartle is before a Judicial Conduct Tribunal probing an incident in which she is accused of making derogatory and racist remarks to a registry clerk. Photo: The South African Judiciary/Facbook A Judicial Conduct Tribunal is probing an incident in which Eastern Cape Judge Belinda Hartle is accused of making a racist […]
2 days ago Read article
S’THEMBISO MSOMI | Like the Phoenix, and Bucs, ANC can still be resurrected Sowetanlive
Whether they survive or die depends on the calibre of captain, the leadership steering the ship.
3 days ago Read article
WEATHER TODAY: Hot day for Paarl and Upington at 37°C, Cape Town 33°C South African
Weather for Monday: A veld fire warning runs from 08:00 to 19:59 for Groblershoop, Prieska and Augrabies Falls, while Durban and Richards Bay could see slight rain.
3 days ago Read article
Data confidence
High coverage
85

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
15 pts
demographic alignment
5 pts
Verified schools
10 inside · 8 nearby
Official school register
School · verified 2026-10-06
Source
Score dashboard
SAPS 2022-2023 · OSM Nov 2026 · modelled
0
Safety
Weak
2022-2023
86
Affordability
Excellent
modelled
82
Schools
Good
2020
18
Transport
Weak
Nov 2026
27
Amenities
Weak
Nov 2026
12
Lifestyle
Weak
Nov 2026
68
Property Confidence
About average
RPPI 2010-2023
What these scores mean for Flagstaff

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: 0/100 · Weak
Scores 0 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 99% of areas in South Africa. In practice, reported crime is high for its size; check the crime breakdown and talk to residents. 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: 82/100 · Good
Scores 82 out of 100, which is good and better than 73% 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: 27/100 · Weak
Scores 27 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 65% 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: 68/100 · About average
Scores 68 out of 100, which is about average and lower than 52% 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
AI neighbourhood summary
AI-powered

Is this area good for families?

Flagstaff scores 82/100 for schools and 0/100 for safety — the two factors families weigh most. Its strongest areas are affordability and schools. Be mindful of weaker safety and transport scores before committing.

Generated by AI · 19 hours ago

Municipal service delivery

Real Stats SA General Household Survey (GHS 2022) — based on 3,124 households surveyed. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Flush toilet access
44%
Pit/bucket toilet (backlog)
52%
Has electricity
98%
Regular refuse removal
41%
Water interruptions (past yr)
78%
Less happy than last year
42%
What residents are complaining about

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

Illegal rubbish dumping 21%
Littering 29%
Water pollution 20%
Air pollution 12%
Land degradation 25%
Noise pollution 9%

Source: Stats SA GHS 2022.

Households (Census 2022)

Real Stats SA Census 2022 — full count, based on 6,221 households. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Piped water inside dwelling
16%
Flush toilet
16%
Bucket toilet (backlog)
2%
Electricity for lighting
93%
Regular refuse removal
16%
Home internet access
1%
No internet access
42%
Owns a motor car
11%
Food security

% of households reporting hunger at least sometimes in the past year.

Adult hunger 30%
Child hunger 28%

Source: Stats SA Census 2022.

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Local services in Flagstaff

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Visiting Flagstaff

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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 Flagstaff safe? Safest in Mthatha Most affordable in Mthatha Best for families in Mthatha

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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