SmogRank / World / Africa / South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal

Most polluted cities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

6 measured cities, last 30 days; 3 above the WHO 24-hour guideline. Worst: eManzimtoti at 33.4 µg/m³, #93 in the world.

About 345K people in these 3 cities breathed unhealthy air on an average day over the last 30 days.

Ranked by people: each city's population times its share of unhealthy days, those with a daily mean over 35.4 µg/m³ (US AQI 101+). That is how many people living there breathed unhealthy air on an average day. Only cities measured at 2 or more places at least 3 km apart are ranked: one monitor shouldn't speak for a whole city. Population is the city itself, not its wider metro area.

North West: 2 measured citiesKwaZulu-Natal: 6 measured citiesFree State: 1 measured cityEastern CapeMpumalanga: 6 measured citiesGauteng: 4 measured cities#6 Port Shepstone: 8.8 µg/m³#4 Shakaskraal: 13.3 µg/m³#5 Pinetown: 13.3 µg/m³#3 Pietermaritzburg: 16.3 µg/m³#2 Durban: 21.6 µg/m³#1 eManzimtoti: 33.4 µg/m³
Each dot is a measured city, coloured by its PM2.5; tap a dot to open the city.
← Durban 345K 300K0
Every measured city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa with monitors in two or more places, one column each, ranked by people breathing unhealthy air: height is people on an average day, colour its average. Point at it to read a city; tap to open it.
  1. 1Durban 345K
  2. 2Pietermaritzburg 0
  3. 3Shakaskraallow-cost sensors 0

Low-cost sensors: consumer units, counted only in cities with no government-grade monitor; they read close to reference monitors on the whole, but 15 to 25% high in humid air. How we use them.

Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

The US EPA's Air Quality Index for PM2.5 (2024 breakpoints). Show values as: µg/m³ · US AQI · India AQI · China AQI · European AQI · UK DAQI · Canada AQHI+. About the scales

Estimated: cities without a monitor

KwaZulu-Natal cities we can't measure, with model estimates for the last 7 days. Listed by population, not ranked: estimates aren't precise enough to rank. Model estimates from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), adjusted to measured cities nearby where there are any. Adjusted, a single day lands within ×1.5 of what a monitor would read about two times in three; unadjusted, it can be off by half or double. Treat them as a guide, not a measurement.

City7-day estimateBand
Newcastle≈ 9 µg/m³Moderate
KwaDukuza≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Vryheid≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Ladysmith≈ 10 µg/m³Moderate
Mpumalanga≈ 11 µg/m³Moderate
Ntuzuma≈ 10 µg/m³Moderate
Dundee≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Kokstad≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Mondlo≈ 7 µg/m³Good
eSikhaleni≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Mandeni≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Margate≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Wembesi≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Mtubatuba≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Empangeni≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Howick≈ 10 µg/m³Moderate
Richmond≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Ulundi≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Mpophomeni≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Ballitoville≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Estcourt≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Scottburgh≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Greytown≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Mooi River≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Glencoe≈ 13 µg/m³Moderate
eMkhomazi≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Ncotshane≈ 7 µg/m³Good
eMuziwezinto≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Eshowe≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Ga-Malakhe≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Frischgewaagd≈ 6 µg/m³Good

Use this board

SmogRank, most polluted cities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, PM2.5, last 30 days to 7 Oct 2026, 00:00 UTC, smogrank.com/za/region/kwazulu-natal?w=30d.

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You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms. Raw monitor readings in bulk are published by OpenAQ, under each provider's licence.

Updated 2026-10-07 00:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors, as the US AQI PM2.5 sub-index.