South Africa

South Africa – Earthquakes | QuakeMap24

Live map, statistics and recent events

Open history map Latest in this country
Quakes this month
23
Latest UTC: 2026-08-24 14:04:20
Strongest
M4.8
8 km NE of Orkney, South Africa
Country rank
#60
42 quakes in 2026 · out of 60 countries
Averages
M2.91 · 10 km
Avg this month: M2.40

Overview – South Africa

The latest recorded earthquake in South Africa was on 2026-08-24 at 14:04 UTC in Gauteng with magnitude M2.1.

In the current month, 23 earthquakes were recorded in South Africa with an average magnitude of 2.40.

Most earthquakes in 2026 occurred in Gauteng (18), followed by Mpumalanga (12).

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

All-time events
86
Strongest
M4.8
Latest (UTC)
2026-08-24 14:04:20 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 27 events from the QuakeMap24 database (UTC).

Open full list
M2.1 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Westonaria Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-24 14:04:20 UTC
Coordinates -26.436, 27.681
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.7 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Emfuleni Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-23 15:08:43 UTC
Coordinates -26.685, 27.918
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.2 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Westonaria Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-22 19:18:41 UTC
Coordinates -26.429, 27.698
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.6 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Westonaria Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-22 16:36:17 UTC
Coordinates -26.421, 27.633
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.1 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Westonaria Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-21 16:55:38 UTC
Coordinates -26.429, 27.698
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.9 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Merafong City Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-21 11:11:23 UTC
Coordinates -26.484, 27.419
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.3 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Emalahleni Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-21 10:34:03 UTC
Coordinates -26.119, 29.218
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.8 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Merafong City Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-20 17:31:06 UTC
Coordinates -26.473, 27.383
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.2 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Limpopo · Greater Tubatse Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-20 13:49:27 UTC
Coordinates -24.446, 30.486
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.1 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Free State · Moqhaka Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-20 09:33:02 UTC
Coordinates -27.003, 26.737
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.3 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Westonaria Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-20 04:25:45 UTC
Coordinates -26.407, 27.575
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.2 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Steve Tshwete Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-18 11:36:34 UTC
Coordinates -26.002, 29.476
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.6 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Merafong City Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-14 16:22:39 UTC
Coordinates -26.465, 27.444
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M3.2 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Northern Cape · Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-13 11:30:26 UTC
Coordinates -30.940, 20.469
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.3 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Westonaria Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-12 17:08:03 UTC
Coordinates -26.411, 27.571
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.5 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Merafong City Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-12 16:44:12 UTC
Coordinates -26.490, 27.381
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.2 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Merafong City Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-11 12:02:20 UTC
Coordinates -26.386, 27.479
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.8 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Emalahleni Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-07 13:57:22 UTC
Coordinates -26.279, 29.183
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.4 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Westonaria Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-05 12:11:46 UTC
Coordinates -26.432, 27.625
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.0 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Steve Tshwete Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-04 12:34:05 UTC
Coordinates -25.896, 29.414
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.1 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Steve Tshwete Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-04 11:24:50 UTC
Coordinates -26.141, 29.484
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.3 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Steve Tshwete Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-03 11:52:22 UTC
Coordinates -25.734, 29.781
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.3 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Westonaria Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-08-03 07:24:38 UTC
Coordinates -26.422, 27.695
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.1 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Steve Tshwete Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-07-31 14:58:44 UTC
Coordinates -25.895, 29.717
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.3 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Mpumalanga · Nkomazi

Time (UTC) 2026-07-30 10:35:21 UTC
Coordinates -25.832, 31.788
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.4 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Gauteng · Merafong City Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-07-29 20:24:37 UTC
Coordinates -26.428, 27.481
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

M2.7 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

North West · Matlosana Local Municipality

Time (UTC) 2026-07-29 07:40:24 UTC
Coordinates -26.903, 26.831
Source emsc

SOUTH AFRICA

Charts – South Africa

Distributions and trends based on the QuakeMap24 database.

Monthly activity (last 12 months)

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
2026-07
10
2026-08
23

Counts are per calendar month (UTC).

Magnitude distribution

0-1
0
1-2
0
2-3
37
3-4
20
4-5
4
< 2 2–4 4–5 ≥ 5

Based on the last 365 days (UTC).

Depth distribution

0-70
61

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. Gauteng
    Events: 29
  2. North West
    Events: 17
  3. Mpumalanga
    Events: 13
  4. Northern Cape
    Events: 9
  5. Limpopo
    Events: 7

FAQ – South Africa

What is the latest recorded earthquake in South Africa?
The newest entry in our database for South Africa is dated 2026-08-24 14:04:20 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 86 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 M2.91 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.

Regions · South Africa

Significant historical earthquakes – South Africa

with casualties or damage

  1. 1997 Avgold's Hartebeestfontein Mine M5.0 15 deaths
  2. 1969 Cape Province M6.3 12 deaths 24 M USD
  3. 1990 Charletonville M4.0 10 deaths
  4. 2018 West Rand M2.1 7 deaths
  5. 1976 South Africa M5.2 4 deaths
  6. 2005 Klerksdorp, Stilfontein M4.3 2 deaths
  7. 1990 Welkom M4.2 2 deaths
  8. 2009 Carletonville M3.5 2 deaths

Country history – South Africa

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

Open history map