SmogRank / World / Africa / South Africa / North West

Most polluted cities in North West, South Africa

2 measured cities, last 30 days; 1 above the WHO 24-hour guideline. Worst: Marikana at 19.3 µg/m³, #263 in the world.

Ranked by unhealthy days: the share of each city's measured days with a daily mean over 35.4 µg/m³ (US AQI 101+), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse on the US EPA's scale. Ties go to the higher average.

North West: 2 measured citiesNorthern CapeKwaZulu-Natal: 6 measured citiesFree State: 1 measured cityLimpopo: 8 measured citiesMpumalanga: 6 measured citiesGauteng: 4 measured cities#2 Hartbeespoort: 14.3 µg/m³#1 Marikana: 19.3 µg/m³
Each dot is a measured city, coloured by its PM2.5; tap a dot to open the city.
  1. 1Marikana 3%
  2. 2Hartbeespoort 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

North West 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
Rustenburg≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Klerksdorp≈ 10 µg/m³Moderate
Potchefstroom≈ 12 µg/m³Moderate
Brits≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Orkney≈ 12 µg/m³Moderate
Stilfontein≈ 10 µg/m³Moderate
Ga-Rankuwa≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Mafikeng≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Schweizer-Reneke≈ 12 µg/m³Moderate
Lichtenburg≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Fochville≈ 17 µg/m³Moderate
Vryburg≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Letlhabile≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Wolmaransstad≈ 10 µg/m³Moderate
Bloemhof≈ 13 µg/m³Moderate
Hartbeestfontein-A≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Ventersdorp≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Christiana≈ 10 µg/m³Moderate
Itsoseng≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Koster≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Hartbeesfontein≈ 11 µg/m³Moderate
Ottosdal≈ 9 µg/m³Moderate
Coligny≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Zeerust≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Leeudoringstad≈ 11 µg/m³Moderate
Makwassie≈ 8 µg/m³Good

Bad-air episodes in North West

Times when many cities around here had PM2.5 at twice their usual or more on the same days.

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SmogRank, most polluted cities in North West, South Africa, PM2.5, last 30 days to 6 Oct 2026, 23:00 UTC, smogrank.com/za/region/north-west?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 2026-10-06 23:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors, as the US AQI PM2.5 sub-index.