SmogRank / World / Africa / South Africa / Mpumalanga

Most polluted cities in Mpumalanga, South Africa

6 measured cities, last 30 days; 4 above the WHO 24-hour guideline. Worst: Leslie at 36.1 µg/m³, #76 in the world.

About 28.3K 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 cityLimpopo: 8 measured citiesMpumalanga: 6 measured citiesGauteng: 4 measured cities#6 Middelburg: 12.2 µg/m³#5 Kriel: 13.1 µg/m³#4 Balfour: 18.0 µg/m³#3 Secunda: 22.5 µg/m³#2 eMbalenhle: 22.6 µg/m³#1 Leslie: 36.1 µg/m³
Each dot is a measured city, coloured by its PM2.5; tap a dot to open the city.
← eMbalenhle 23.7K 20K0
Every measured city in Mpumalanga, 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. 1eMbalenhle 23.7K
  2. 2Secundalast full day 3 Oct 4.54K
  3. 3Middelburg 0
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

Mpumalanga 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
Somaroboro≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Mbombela≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Delmas≈ 12 µg/m³Moderate
Piet Retief≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Bethal≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Barberton≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Kwaggafontein≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Trichardt≈ 12 µg/m³Moderate
Lydenburg≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Matsulu≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Siyabuswa≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Volksrust≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Mkhuhlu≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Lukwatini≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Calcutta≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Lebohang≈ 12 µg/m³Moderate
Nhlazatje≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Driefontein≈ 7 µg/m³Good
White River≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Schoemansdal≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Redhill≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Moloto South≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Hlanganani≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Komatipoort≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Mafemani≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Carolina≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Belfast≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Vaalbank≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Sabie≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Driekoppies≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Kinross≈ 12 µg/m³Moderate
Tekwane≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Breyten≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Thubelihle≈ 11 µg/m³Moderate
Daggakraal≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Fernie≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Empuluzu≈ 4 µg/m³Good

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SmogRank, most polluted cities in Mpumalanga, South Africa, PM2.5, last 30 days to 7 Oct 2026, 01:00 UTC, smogrank.com/za/region/mpumalanga?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 01:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors, as the US AQI PM2.5 sub-index.