Air Pollution in South Africa — Live AQI by City, PM2.5/PM10, Smog Alerts and Forecasts

Locations

Cape Town

110 PM2.5 µg/m³

Very Unhealthy

PM10 110 NO₂ 88 O₃ 0

Durban

15 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 25 NO₂ 1.2 O₃ 66

Johannesburg

17 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 18 NO₂ 15 O₃ 56

Soweto

17 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 18 NO₂ 15 O₃ 56

Pretoria

7.9 PM2.5 µg/m³

Good

PM10 8.6 NO₂ 3.6 O₃ 62

Port Elizabeth

5.1 PM2.5 µg/m³

Good

PM10 7.7 NO₂ 1.7 O₃ 56

Pietermaritzburg

13 PM2.5 µg/m³

Good

PM10 15 NO₂ 7.6 O₃ 46

Benoni

16 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 16 NO₂ 7.6 O₃ 51

Tembisa

16 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 16 NO₂ 7.6 O₃ 51

East London

14 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 23 NO₂ 0.6 O₃ 64

Vereeniging

15 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 16 NO₂ 15 O₃ 51

Bloemfontein

23 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 23 NO₂ 3.2 O₃ 77

Welkom

18 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 18 NO₂ 7.3 O₃ 63

Newcastle upon Tyne

13 PM2.5 µg/m³

Good

PM10 14 NO₂ 4 O₃ 57

Krugersdorp

8.4 PM2.5 µg/m³

Good

PM10 9.1 NO₂ 3.5 O₃ 66

Botshabelo

24 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 24 NO₂ 2.7 O₃ 84

Witbank

25 PM2.5 µg/m³

Moderate

PM10 25 NO₂ 8.1 O₃ 58

Richards Bay

13 PM2.5 µg/m³

Good

PM10 20 NO₂ 1.5 O₃ 57

Centurion

11 PM2.5 µg/m³

Good

PM10 12 NO₂ 6 O₃ 63

Uitenhage

2.7 PM2.5 µg/m³

Good

PM10 3.5 NO₂ 2.4 O₃ 43

Current data Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 3:00 AM

PM2,5 19 (Moderate)

PM10 21 (Moderate)

O3 56 (Good)

NO2 10 (Good)

SO2 16 (Good)

CO 303 (Good)

index	2026-08-27	2026-08-26	2026-08-25	2026-08-24	2026-08-23	2026-08-22	2026-08-21	2026-08-20
PM2,5	22 Moderate	26 Moderate	34 Moderate	26 Moderate	19 Moderate	20 Moderate	32 Moderate	29 Moderate
PM10	24 Moderate	29 Moderate	36 Moderate	27 Moderate	21 Moderate	22 Moderate	34 Moderate	31 Moderate
O3	76 Moderate	70 Moderate	71 Moderate	67 Good	68 Good	72 Moderate	66 Good	73 Moderate
NO2	12 Good	19 Good	23 Good	15 Good	12 Good	13 Good	20 Good	17 Good
SO2	22 Good	30 Good	34 Good	21 Good	22 Good	21 Good	31 Good	29 Good
CO	310 Good	392 Good	537 Good	413 Good	297 Good	273 Good	406 Good	421 Good

data source »

Quality of life in South Africa

Green and Parks in the City

South Africa 51%

Lesotho: 64% Namibia: 52% Botswana: 30% Zimbabwe: 41%

Pleasure of spending time in the city

South Africa 55%

Lesotho: 54% Namibia: 72% Botswana: 67% Zimbabwe: 37%

Air Pollution

South Africa 48%

Lesotho: 46% Namibia: 32% Botswana: 36% Zimbabwe: 60%

Garbage Disposal

South Africa 55%

Lesotho: 18% Namibia: 65% Botswana: 55% Zimbabwe: 23%

Availability and quality of drinking water

South Africa 63%

Lesotho: 64% Namibia: 66% Botswana: 60% Zimbabwe: 28%

Cleanliness and tidiness

South Africa 40%

Lesotho: 46% Namibia: 65% Botswana: 51% Zimbabwe: 24%

Noise and Light pollution

South Africa 43%

Lesotho: 57% Namibia: 46% Botswana: 26% Zimbabwe: 62%

Water Pollution

South Africa 59%

Lesotho: 67% Namibia: 45% Botswana: 39% Zimbabwe: 85%

Source: Numbeo

* Pollution data source: https://openaq.org (Richards Bay) The data is licensed under CC-By 4.0

Frequently asked questions

Is the air safe to breathe in South Africa today?

The current average PM2.5 across South Africa is about 19 µg/m³, rated “Moderate”. Air quality is acceptable, but unusually sensitive people should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

What is the current PM2.5 level in South Africa?

Right now PM2.5 in South Africa averages about 19 µg/m³ (“Moderate”). PM2.5 are fine particles small enough to reach the lungs and bloodstream.

Which cities in South Africa have the best and worst air quality now?

Cape Town currently has the highest PM2.5 (105 µg/m³), while Uitenhage has the cleanest air (3 µg/m³).

How is air quality measured?

Air quality here is based on PM2.5 — the concentration of fine particulate matter in µg/m³. Lower values mean cleaner air. Data is updated daily from Open-Meteo.

☀️ UV Index · 16-day Forecast — South Africa

The UV index in South Africa today is 5.5 (moderate) — unprotected fair skin can burn in about 35 minutes.

🌦️ Weather · 16-day Forecast — South Africa

16-day weather forecast for South Africa: today around 27°C (clear sky), lows near 12°C. Daily temperature and conditions, updated every day.