SmogRank / Countries / South Africa
Most polluted cities in South Africa
3 measured cities, last 24 hours; 1 above the WHO 24-hour guideline. Worst: Vereeniging at 26.3 µg/m³, #40 in the world.
2 good 1 moderate
- 1Vereeniginglow-cost sensorsGauteng 26.31.8×
- 2Shakaskraallow-cost sensorsKwaZulu-Natal 2.80.2×
- 3Richards Baylow-cost sensorsKwaZulu-Natal 2.30.2×
Estimated: cities without a monitor
South Africa 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.
| City | 7-day estimate |
|---|---|
| Johannesburg | ≈ 20 µg/m³ |
| Cape Town | ≈ 31 µg/m³ |
| Durban | ≈ 13 µg/m³ |
| Pretoria | ≈ 15 µg/m³ |
| Soweto | ≈ 20 µg/m³ |
| Gqeberha | ≈ 12 µg/m³ |
| Soshanguve | ≈ 15 µg/m³ |
| Pietermaritzburg | ≈ 15 µg/m³ |
| Evaton | ≈ 20 µg/m³ |
| Benoni | ≈ 16 µg/m³ |
| Bloemfontein | ≈ 8 µg/m³ |
| Thembisa | ≈ 16 µg/m³ |
| East London | ≈ 11 µg/m³ |
| Boksburg | ≈ 15 µg/m³ |
| Welkom | ≈ 12 µg/m³ |
| Newcastle | ≈ 12 µg/m³ |
| Krugersdorp | ≈ 14 µg/m³ |
| Rustenburg | ≈ 11 µg/m³ |
| Emalahleni | ≈ 18 µg/m³ |
| Randburg | ≈ 17 µg/m³ |
| Roodepoort | ≈ 17 µg/m³ |
| Botshabelo | ≈ 8 µg/m³ |
| Brakpan | ≈ 15 µg/m³ |
| Kariega | ≈ 8 µg/m³ |
| Polokwane | ≈ 8 µg/m³ |
| Germiston | ≈ 20 µg/m³ |
| Vanderbijlpark | ≈ 17 µg/m³ |
| Paarl | ≈ 19 µg/m³ |
| Centurion | ≈ 17 µg/m³ |
| Klerksdorp | ≈ 12 µg/m³ |
| Somerset West | ≈ 25 µg/m³ |
| Mdantsane | ≈ 9 µg/m³ |
| Middelburg | ≈ 13 µg/m³ |
| George | ≈ 9 µg/m³ |
| Carletonville | ≈ 13 µg/m³ |
| Potchefstroom | ≈ 13 µg/m³ |
| Mthatha | ≈ 9 µg/m³ |
| KwaDukuza | ≈ 16 µg/m³ |
| Westonaria | ≈ 17 µg/m³ |
| Etwatwa | ≈ 16 µg/m³ |
Regions
Measured cities in each region (30 days).
Updated 2026-10-01 22:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 in µg/m³ (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors.