South Africa · Limpopo

M2.5 Earthquake near Polokwane Local Municipality, Limpopo (South Africa)

UTC time: 2026-09-08 11:19:21 UTC Local time:
Magnitude
M2.5
Depth
10.0 km
Source
EMSC

Limpopo · Polokwane Local Municipality

Country overview

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About this earthquake

On September 8, 2026 at 11:19 UTC, a magnitude M2.5 earthquake occurred near Polokwane Local Municipality, Limpopo (South Africa). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. South Africa: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M2.9.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — close to the regional average (10 km)
Regional average: 10 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Pietersburg Municipal AirportSouth Africa · FAPI
    26.7 kmStraight-line distance
  • Polokwane International AirportSouth Africa · PTG · FAPP
    31.5 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-20

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

South Africa

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 93 Catalogue entries

Of 92 other entries for this area and period, 41 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · South Africa

Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · South Africa

View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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