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Neighbourhoods › Eastern Cape › Kunene
44
/ 100

Kunene

Needs caution

Mthatha, Eastern Cape

Residential
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Poor fit Based on 7 scored dimensions
Best reasons
94
Affordability
79
Schools — 12 schools within range
79
Property confidence
Trade-offs
8
Amenities — 1 amenities mapped nearby
12
Lifestyle
Unknowns
Safety — based on limited evidence
Is Kunene right for you?

Kunene stands out for affordable homes and schools nearby, with the trade-off of higher crime and limited public transport.

What is good here

  • Homes cost less than in most areas, compared with local incomes.
  • There are more schools within reach than in most areas.
  • Property prices have held up better than in most areas.

Things to weigh up

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

    Affordable homes and steady property prices.

Compared with nearby areas

In Mthatha In South Africa
Safety About average Among the lowest
Affordability Among the best Among the best
Schools Among the best Better than most
Transport Below most Among the lowest
Amenities Among the lowest Among the lowest
Lifestyle Below most Among the lowest
Property Confidence Among the best Better than most
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
Moderate coverage
71

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

geography
15 pts
source authority
20 pts
freshness
20 pts
record coverage
11 pts
demographic alignment
5 pts
Verified schools
0 inside · 12 nearby
Official school register
School · verified 2026-09-22
Source
Score dashboard
OSM Nov 2026 · modelled
23
Safety
Weak
estimated
94
Affordability
Excellent
modelled
79
Schools
Good
2020
18
Transport
Weak
Nov 2026
8
Amenities
Weak
Nov 2026
12
Lifestyle
Weak
Nov 2026
79
Property Confidence
Good
RPPI 2010-2023
What these scores mean for Kunene

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: 23/100 · Weak
Scores 23 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: No SAPS station data for this suburb yet — safety is estimated from data-backed suburbs nearby. This is an estimate from wider-area data, not measured for this area itself. Source: Estimated from nearby areas (estimated).
Affordability: 94/100 · Excellent
Scores 94 out of 100, which is excellent and better than 63% 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: 79/100 · Good
Scores 79 out of 100, which is good and better than 65% 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: 8/100 · Weak
Scores 8 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 99% 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: 79/100 · Good
Scores 79 out of 100, which is good and better than 72% of areas in South Africa. In practice, property data is plentiful and prices look steady. 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 2,555 households surveyed. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Flush toilet access
43%
Pit/bucket toilet (backlog)
54%
Has electricity
95%
Regular refuse removal
34%
Water interruptions (past yr)
76%
Less happy than last year
38%
What residents are complaining about

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

Illegal rubbish dumping 31%
Littering 40%
Water pollution 27%
Air pollution 19%
Land degradation 45%
Noise pollution 10%

Source: Stats SA GHS 2022.

Households (Census 2022)

Real Stats SA Census 2022 — full count, based on 10,502 households. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Piped water inside dwelling
35%
Flush toilet
40%
Bucket toilet (backlog)
1%
Electricity for lighting
94%
Regular refuse removal
36%
Home internet access
3%
No internet access
33%
Owns a motor car
20%
Food security

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

Adult hunger 30%
Child hunger 27%

Source: Stats SA Census 2022.

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Local services in Kunene

Tips from residents

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Visiting Kunene

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 Kunene 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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