If you’re looking for a church to visit in South Africa, you can’t go wrong with any of the ones on this list. These are some of the biggest and most popular churches in the country, and they offer a variety of services and activities that you can take part in. No matter what your religious beliefs are, you’re sure to find a warm welcome at any of these churches.
10 Biggest Churches In South Africa
The churches on this list are some of the biggest and most popular in South Africa. They offer a variety of services and programs to their congregations, and they are definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a new place of worship. No matter what your religion, these churches are sure to make you feel welcome and accepted.
1. Zion Christian Church
The Zion Christian Church is the biggest church in South Africa. It was founded in 1910 by Engenas Lekganyane, and has since grown to over 4 million members. The church is known for its unique blend of African culture and Christianity, and its focus on social justice.
The church has a vision to reach out to all people in Southern Africa, who are still without knowledge or understanding of God’s love for them. The vision of Zion Christian Church is to be a growing church which will become a channel through which God can flow His power so that people may be healed physically, emotionally and spiritually.
2. CRC Christian Church
CRC Christian Church is one of the biggest churches in South Africa. It is a multi-campus church with over 30,000 members. The church has a vision to see people transformed by the power of God.
The church has a passion for reaching out to the lost and making disciples. The church has a heart for the poor and needy. The church is also involved in social action and community development.
This church was founded in 1984, in Bloemfontein, South Africa by At and Nyretta Boshoff.
3. Christ the King Catholic Church
Christ the King Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church in Johannesburg, South Africa. The church is the largest in Africa and was built to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers. It has a capacity of over 10,000 people.
The church was designed by South African architects B.Gregory & J.P Monahan and completed in 1958. The building took five years to complete at an estimated cost of R600,000 (about US$36,600). The cathedral was consecrated and opened in 1960.
The church is built from red brick with concrete trimming and has a flat roof with large skylights that allow natural light into the nave. The nave contains two massive concrete pillars which support the roof and are decorated with abstract depictions of Christ’s crown of thorns and his stigmata.
In September 1995 Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral as part of his visit to South Africa.
The members of this congregation are mostly from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi as well as other African countries who live near Johannesburg.
4. St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral
St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral is one of biggest church in South Africa. It was built in 1956, and has been declared a National Monument by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA).
The cathedral stands on a hill that overlooks Cape Town. It is one of the most iconic landmarks in the city and can be seen from many places around it. The cathedral has two spires, one at each end of the building, which reach a height of 100 meters (328 feet).
St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral is located in Cape Town’s CBD and is one of Cape Town’s oldest buildings still standing today.
St. George’s Cathedral is also located in Cape Town, but this time on Church Square where it serves as a protestant church for locals living there as well as tourists visiting Cape Town
5. St. Paul’s Church
St. Paul’s Church is one of the biggest churches in South Africa, and one of the largest in the world. The church was built in 1873 and can accommodate up to 8,000 worshippers.
The building itself is an example of Victorian Gothic architecture, and was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who also designed St Pancras Station in London.
It was built by architect William Butterfield who used local materials such as granite and sandstone to build it. The interior features some amazing stained glass windows that were created by Morris & Co., a famous stained glass company based in London.
The church has been described as “an architectural gem”, and it is regularly used for concerts, exhibitions and other events.
6. Holy Trinity Church
The Holy Trinity Church located in Durban is one of the biggest church in South Africa. It is also one of the most beautiful churches in the world, and it has been nominated for the World Heritage List by Unesco. The church was built by Sir Henry Fynn and his wife Lady Helen Fynn in 1902.
The church has a capacity of more than 5,000 people and can accommodate up to 8,000 people if they stand on their feet. The Holy Trinity Anglican Church is one of the largest Anglican churches in South Africa.
The architectural design of this church was based on the Italian Romanesque style, with a basilica plan and a semi-circular apse at its eastern end. The building is constructed out of local stone with red brick trimmings on the exterior walls of the building. The interior walls are plastered in white color, while some parts have been painted black to create a contrast against other colors present inside this beautiful structure.
This stunning building was designed by architect Edward Charles Morgan. The church has been declared a heritage site by the City of Durban and is listed as a Grade II historic building.
7. St. Mary’s Cathedral
St. Mary’s Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg, in South Africa. It is located in the central business district of Johannesburg, at the corner of Commissioner and Main Streets. It is one of the biggest churches in South Africa, and has a seating capacity of 9,000 persons.
St Mary’s Cathedral was built in 1956 by Italian architect Pietro Belluschi (1906-1997). Belluschi was an Italian-American architect who was known for his work on churches and religious structures. He traveled widely throughout his career, working on designs in Europe, Asia and North America.
The building has been described as Modernist architecture but it also incorporates elements of Art Deco design and features such as its curving interior surfaces that are reminiscent of the lines found in Gothic cathedrals. The cathedral is made from local stone with a concrete frame and roof structure which makes it very strong but also light weight.
8. St. George’s Cathedral
St. George’s Cathedral is the 6th largest church in South Africa. It can seat up to 2,000 people at a time and is used by Anglicans and Catholics alike.
The cathedral is located on St George’s Street in Cape Town, South Africa. The building was completed in 1910, but was badly damaged during an earthquake in 1960. It was rebuilt in 1965 and then again in 2000.
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has been worshipping at this location since 1823 when the first rector of St George’s Parish began holding services there using a small wooden chapel as his home base. The building that stands today replaced this chapel after it was destroyed by fire in 1828.
It wasn’t until 1841 that plans were made for construction of a larger church building after Bishop John Robert Graydon returned from England with funds raised by locals who had emigrated there to escape poverty and disease in their homeland.
9. St. Augustine’s Cathedral
The St. Augustine’s Cathedral is the oldest church in South Africa and has been voted as one of the top tourist attractions in Pretoria. It was first built in 1853 by the Church of England and was consecrated by Bishop Robert Gray on May 4th 1856. This was done after they had acquired a piece of land from Lord Charles Somerset who was the governor of the Cape Colony at the time.
The church was built in response to a growing need for more churches to be built in South Africa at that time. The Anglican Church has played a major role in shaping modern day South Africa as we know it today, and this church is no exception to that rule.
The church has a capacity to seat over 2000 people, which makes it one of the biggest churches in South Africa. The interior of the church has beautiful stained glass windows that add to its beauty and a large pipe organ that adds to its grandeur.
10. Doxa Deo
Doxa Deo is a multi-site church with branches in several countries that are not in Africa, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, and Germany. The name Doxa Deo is derived from two distinct dialects: Doxa in Greek means greatness, and Deo in Latin means God.
The church is known for its very active social media presence and for its online giving platform.
Conclusion
There you have it — the biggest churches in South Africa. These churches are truly impressive, both in terms of size and architecture. If you’re ever in South Africa, be sure to check out one (or all!) of these beautiful places of worship.
