South Africa

South Africa – Earthquakes | QuakeMap24

Live map, statistics and recent events

Open history map Latest in this country
Quakes last month
5
Latest UTC: 2026-05-28 09:54:41
Strongest
M4.8
8 km NE of Orkney, South Africa
Country rank
#73
9 quakes in 2026 · out of 73 countries
Averages
M3.25 · 10 km
Avg this month: M2.18

Overview – South Africa

The latest recorded earthquake in South Africa was on 2026-05-28 at 09:54 UTC in KwaZulu-Natal with magnitude M2.0.

In the last month, 5 earthquakes were recorded in South Africa with an average magnitude of 2.18.

Most earthquakes in 2026 occurred in North West (3), followed by Mpumalanga (2).

The strongest recorded earthquake in South Africa reached magnitude M4.8 on 2025-07-10.

All-time events
53
Strongest
M4.8
Latest (UTC)
2026-05-28 09:54:41 UTC

Strongest – South Africa

Open event
M4.8 8 km NE of Orkney, South Africa
UTC: 2025-07-10 11:48:51 UTC · Depth: 10 km

Map – South Africa

Markers show the latest 30 earthquakes in South Africa.

Recent earthquakes – South Africa

Showing the latest 5 events from the QuakeMap24 database (UTC).

Open full list
M2.0 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

KwaZulu-Natal · eMadlangeni Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-05-28 09:54:41 UTC
Coordinates -27.648, 30.610
Source emsc
M2.4 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Msukaligwa

Time (UTC) 2026-05-23 14:52:16 UTC
Coordinates -26.335, 29.541
Source emsc
M2.0 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

North West · Madibeng Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-05-21 16:03:28 UTC
Coordinates -25.735, 27.596
Source emsc
M2.1 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Steve Tshwete

Time (UTC) 2026-05-18 14:53:48 UTC
Coordinates -25.962, 29.718
Source emsc
M2.4 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Limpopo · Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-05-09 05:01:10 UTC
Coordinates -24.013, 30.966
Source emsc

Charts – South Africa

Distributions and trends based on the QuakeMap24 database.

Monthly activity (last 12 months)

2025-07
9
2025-08
6
2025-09
11
2025-10
1
2025-11
4
2025-12
2
2026-01
0
2026-02
2
2026-03
1
2026-04
1
2026-05
5
2026-06
0

Counts are per calendar month (UTC).

Magnitude distribution

0-1
0
1-2
0
2-3
5
3-4
38
4-5
7
5-6
0
6-7
0
7-8
0
8-9
0
9+
0

Based on the last 365 days (UTC).

Depth distribution

0-70
50
70-300
0
300-700
0
700+
0

Depth buckets are derived from the last 365 days (UTC).

Top regions – South Africa

Regions are derived from the most specific available location fields (e.g. state, then city).

  1. North West
    Events: 15
  2. Gauteng
    Events: 12
  3. Northern Cape
    Events: 8
  4. Limpopo
    Events: 6
  5. Free State
    Events: 4

FAQ – South Africa

What is the latest recorded earthquake in South Africa?
The newest entry in our database for South Africa is dated 2026-05-28 09:54:41 UTC.
What was the strongest recorded earthquake in South Africa?
The strongest recorded event in our database for South Africa reached magnitude M4.8.
How many earthquakes are recorded for South Africa?
QuakeMap24 currently contains 53 recorded earthquakes for South Africa (all-time, based on our database).
What are typical average magnitude and depth in South Africa?
Across all recorded events in South Africa, the average magnitude is M3.25 and the average depth is 10 km.
Why do some events show city/state/village and others only a place name?
Locality labels depend on the available source data. Some providers deliver precise administrative levels; others provide a broader place description.
How can I explore more than the last 30 events?
Use the country history page for South Africa to explore earthquake activity with filters.
How often is this page updated?
The content is generated from the QuakeMap24 database and refreshes as new events are ingested. Timestamps are shown in UTC for consistency.

Country history – South Africa

Explore earthquake history with filters (magnitude, depth, date range).

Open history map