District municipalities are made up of several local municipalities that fall in one district. Except for the 8 metros, the rest of the country is covered by the 44 district municipalities, which are divided into local municipalities and share responsibilities with them. Typically, there are between 4-6 local municipalities that fall under one district council.

The purpose of district municipalities (Category C) and local municipalities (Category B) sharing the responsibility for local government in their areas, is to ensure that all communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, have equal access to resources and services. This arrangement is made to help local municipalities who do not have the capacity (finances, facilities, staff or knowledge) to provide services sustainably and adequately to their communities. It also helps to cut the costs of running a municipality by sharing resources with other councils.

For detailed maps and population statistics of each district in South Africa, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_South_Africa.