Fine particles
43.9µg/m³CAMS model • Open-Meteo
South AfricaAir quality, PM2.5 and PM10
Compare air quality across cities in this country. Explore PM2.5, PM10 and other pollutant concentrations, check data timestamps, and view recent trends and historical charts.
South Africa - average concentrations across available points: PM2.5: 43.9 µg/m³, PM10: 45.9 µg/m³, O₃: 27.3 µg/m³, NO₂: 31.2 µg/m³, SO₂: 42.7 µg/m³, CO: 369.9 µg/m³. Date range: October 7, 2026. Each point contributes its latest available hourly value; this is not a daily or population-weighted average.
Lowest PM2.5: Pietermaritzburg (2.4 µg/m³). Highest PM2.5: Johannesburg, Soweto (117.3 µg/m³). This comparison covers 20 cities on October 7, 2026 using their latest available hourly values. Reading times may differ; this is not an annual-average ranking.
Air quality questions →All cities · South Africa
20 citiesSouth Africa↗
Cape Town
PM2.512.4
PM1017.6
µg/m³
PM2.5 · FairNO₂ 8.3O₃ 42
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Durban
PM2.52.7
PM104.3
µg/m³
PM2.5 · GoodNO₂ 1.3O₃ 63
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Johannesburg
PM2.5117.3
PM10119
µg/m³
PM2.5 · Very poorNO₂ 75.2O₃ 0
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Soweto
PM2.5117.3
PM10119
µg/m³
PM2.5 · Very poorNO₂ 75.2O₃ 0
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Pretoria
PM2.557.4
PM1058.4
µg/m³
PM2.5 · PoorNO₂ 56O₃ 1
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Port Elizabeth
PM2.57.5
PM1011.8
µg/m³
PM2.5 · FairNO₂ 2.7O₃ 44
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Pietermaritzburg
PM2.52.4
PM102.4
µg/m³
PM2.5 · GoodNO₂ 2.4O₃ 63
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Benoni
PM2.584.8
PM1087.3
µg/m³
PM2.5 · PoorNO₂ 68.2O₃ 3
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Tembisa
PM2.584.8
PM1087.3
µg/m³
PM2.5 · PoorNO₂ 68.2O₃ 3
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
East London
PM2.59.8
PM1016.4
µg/m³
PM2.5 · FairNO₂ 1.2O₃ 55
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Vereeniging
PM2.561.2
PM1062.2
µg/m³
PM2.5 · PoorNO₂ 54O₃ 3
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Bloemfontein
PM2.54.2
PM104.5
µg/m³
PM2.5 · GoodNO₂ 7.5O₃ 38
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Welkom
PM2.518
PM1018.8
µg/m³
PM2.5 · ModerateNO₂ 15O₃ 36
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Newcastle upon Tyne
PM2.59.9
PM1010.1
µg/m³
PM2.5 · FairNO₂ 9.8O₃ 32
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Krugersdorp
PM2.564.5
PM1065.7
µg/m³
PM2.5 · PoorNO₂ 56.7O₃ 2
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Botshabelo
PM2.510
PM1010.5
µg/m³
PM2.5 · FairNO₂ 13.5O₃ 42
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Witbank
PM2.592.7
PM1094.1
µg/m³
PM2.5 · Very poorNO₂ 27.5O₃ 20
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Richards Bay
PM2.55.9
PM108.7
µg/m³
PM2.5 · FairNO₂ 1.5O₃ 68
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Centurion
PM2.5111.3
PM10112.9
µg/m³
PM2.5 · Very poorNO₂ 76.9O₃ 0
October 7, 202603:00
South Africa↗
Uitenhage
PM2.54
PM106.5
µg/m³
PM2.5 · GoodNO₂ 2.4O₃ 31
October 7, 202603:00
PM2.5 vs PM10 - what is the difference? → · Models and monitoring stations →
AVERAGE ACROSS AVAILABLE COUNTRY POINTS
Latest concentrations · South Africa
Particulate matter
45.9µg/m³Ozone
27.3µg/m³Nitrogen dioxide
31.2µg/m³Sulphur dioxide
42.7µg/m³Carbon monoxide
369.9µg/m³Average of the latest available hour at each model point. This is neither a population-weighted nor a daily average.
DAILY DATA · South Africa
South Africa - air pollution over recent days (2026-08-31 - 2026-10-06)
Averages across available points in the country. These are not population-weighted averages.
PM2.5Lowest 8.81 2026-09-30Highest 22.2 2026-10-022026-08-31 - 2026-10-06
PM10Lowest 10.27 2026-09-30Highest 24.23 2026-10-022026-08-31 - 2026-10-06
O₃Lowest 54.18 2026-09-30Highest 83.01 2026-09-032026-08-31 - 2026-10-06
NO₂Lowest 6.56 2026-09-05Highest 16.88 2026-10-022026-08-31 - 2026-10-06
SO₂Lowest 11.22 2026-09-04Highest 27.66 2026-10-022026-08-31 - 2026-10-06
COLowest 163.77 2026-09-30Highest 387.26 2026-09-012026-08-31 - 2026-10-06
Scroll the chart or table sideways to see the full period.
| Pollutant | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-05 | 2026-10-04 | 2026-10-03 | 2026-10-02 | 2026-10-01 | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-07 | 2026-09-06 | 2026-09-05 | 2026-09-04 | 2026-09-03 | 2026-09-02 | 2026-09-01 | 2026-08-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 17.84 | 15.47 | 19.45 | 17.22 | 22.2 | 11.43 | 8.81 | 14.32 | 17.94 | 15.34 | 16.01 | 12.44 | 19.66 | 20.89 | 19.83 |
| PM10 | 19.63 | 17.25 | 21.09 | 18.66 | 24.23 | 13.19 | 10.27 | 16.12 | 20.19 | 17.99 | 18.56 | 13.72 | 21.39 | 22.53 | 22.08 |
| O₃ | 62.42 | 65.59 | 74.86 | 74.24 | 66.31 | 56.91 | 54.18 | 71.39 | 75.42 | 71.51 | 77.54 | 83.01 | 81.32 | 73.55 | 67.8 |
| NO₂ | 12.64 | 11.18 | 10.48 | 11.23 | 16.88 | 12.73 | 12.45 | 9.99 | 7.22 | 6.56 | 8 | 8.17 | 11.39 | 14.59 | 12.98 |
| SO₂ | 17.83 | 18.44 | 20.22 | 17.08 | 27.66 | 23.13 | 21.49 | 17.36 | 12.63 | 11.74 | 11.22 | 12.38 | 17.64 | 24.72 | 20.16 |
| CO | 243.61 | 219.8 | 205.86 | 224.87 | 241.98 | 202.24 | 163.77 | 225.93 | 263.63 | 192.84 | 215.35 | 234.75 | 320.93 | 387.26 | 339.85 |
A dot on the chart and a dash in the table indicate missing data. The latest day may be incomplete.
AIR QUALITY ARCHIVE · South Africa
South Africa - air pollution history (2017-08 - 2019-04)
Compare monthly particle and gas concentrations in the available archive.
PM10Lowest 15.2 2019-04Highest 29.5 2018-062017-08 - 2019-04
Scroll the chart or table sideways to see the full period.
| Pollutant | 2019-04 | 2019-03 | 2019-02 | 2019-01 | 2018-12 | 2018-11 | 2018-10 | 2018-09 | 2018-08 | 2018-07 | 2018-06 | 2018-05 | 2018-04 | 2018-03 | 2018-02 | 2018-01 | 2017-12 | 2017-11 | 2017-10 | 2017-09 | 2017-08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM10 | 15.2 | 20.7 | 20 | 18.1 | 17 | 21.7 | 20.3 | 29 | 26 | 22.4 | 29.5 | 18.3 | 18.5 | 20.3 | 15.7 | 19 | 19.8 | 21.5 | 20.3 | 26.1 | 22.8 |
A dot on the chart and a dash in the table indicate missing data. Historical values do not describe today’s air quality.
Environment and quality of life ratings · South Africa
Archived ratings of the local environment: green spaces, cleanliness, noise and water quality. Opinion indicators are separate from pollutant concentration measurements.
| Indicator | South Africa | Lesotho | Swaziland | Namibia | Botswana | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green and Parks in the City | 51% | 64% | — | 52% | 30% | 41% |
| Pleasure of spending time in the city | 55% | 54% | — | 72% | 67% | 37% |
| Air Pollution | 48% | 46% | — | 32% | 36% | 60% |
| Garbage Disposal | 55% | 18% | — | 65% | 55% | 23% |
| Availability and quality of drinking water | 63% | 64% | — | 66% | 60% | 28% |
| Cleanliness and tidiness | 40% | 46% | — | 65% | 51% | 24% |
| Noise and Light pollution | 43% | 57% | — | 46% | 26% | 62% |
| Water Pollution | 59% | 67% | — | 45% | 39% | 85% |
WEATHER & SURROUNDINGS
South Africa · weather forecast
Daily maximum and minimum temperatures. Forecast point: -30.5595, 22.9375.
Scroll the forecast to see the following days.
South Africa · October 4, 2026: minimum temperature 13.6°C, maximum 23.4°C. Wind: 40.1 km/h. Humidity: 39%.
Full forecast: temperature, rainfall, wind and humidity
| Date | Day °C | Min °C | Max °C | Night °C | Rain mm | Wind m/s | Humidity % | Clouds % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-04 | 21.5 | 13.6 | 23.4 | 18.3 | 1.4 | 11.2 | 39 | 95 |
| 2026-10-05 | 24.3 | 15.9 | 26 | 21.8 | 4.8 | 8.8 | 27 | 4 |
| 2026-10-06 | 23.2 | 13.4 | 23.2 | 13.4 | 1.2 | 11.4 | 40 | 21 |
| 2026-10-07 | 19.1 | 9.8 | 22.7 | 19.1 | 0.8 | 8.1 | 35 | 2 |
| 2026-10-08 | 25.8 | 15.3 | 27.6 | 21.1 | — | 8.3 | 22 | 1 |
| 2026-10-09 | 26.4 | 17.7 | 29.9 | 24.1 | 1.8 | 4.5 | 13 | 4 |
| 2026-10-10 | 28.8 | 20.3 | 32.3 | 25.4 | 0.6 | 7.6 | 15 | 7 |
| 2026-10-11 | 29.3 | 21.3 | 32.7 | 25.7 | 0.7 | 7.8 | 32 | 90 |
| 2026-10-12 | 28.2 | 20.4 | 28.2 | 20.4 | 0.6 | 15 | 30 | 84 |
| 2026-10-13 | 26 | 19.4 | 26 | 20.8 | 0.2 | 8.9 | 38 | 89 |
| 2026-10-14 | 25.5 | 19.3 | 29.2 | 22.2 | 0.8 | 8.1 | 36 | 68 |
| 2026-10-15 | 27.9 | 18 | 33.1 | 25 | 0.2 | 6.2 | 19 | 75 |
| 2026-10-16 | 33.3 | 23.2 | 35.6 | 26 | 0.3 | 12.6 | 18 | 68 |
| 2026-10-17 | 30.2 | 23.5 | 30.2 | 23.5 | 0.1 | 9.4 | 26 | 47 |
| 2026-10-18 | 26.9 | 19.5 | 27.9 | 19.5 | 0.7 | 10.2 | 32 | 81 |
| 2026-10-19 | 21.4 | 15.4 | 24.1 | 18 | — | 7.6 | 17 | 70 |
| 2026-10-20 | 21.6 | 14.3 | 24.5 | 14.3 | — | 11.8 | 13 | 98 |
| 2026-10-21 | 16.6 | 8.7 | 22.2 | 19.4 | — | 11.2 | 26 | 21 |
UV index by day · South Africa
Data for a country reference point. Local conditions may differ.
SPF 50, long sleeves and shade between 10:00-16:00.
0-2 low3-5 moderate6-7 high8-10 very high11+ extreme
Scroll the forecast to see the following days.
South Africa · October 6, 2026: UV index: 8.4 .
| Indicator | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-07 | 2026-10-08 | 2026-10-09 | 2026-10-10 | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-12 | 2026-10-13 | 2026-10-14 | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-16 | 2026-10-17 | 2026-10-18 | 2026-10-19 | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 9 | 7.1 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 9 | — |
AIR QUALITY QUESTIONS
South Africa · air pollution - questions and answers
What do the latest air quality data show for South Africa?
South Africa - average concentrations across available points: PM2.5: 43.9 µg/m³, PM10: 45.9 µg/m³, O₃: 27.3 µg/m³, NO₂: 31.2 µg/m³, SO₂: 42.7 µg/m³, CO: 369.9 µg/m³. Date range: October 7, 2026. Each point contributes its latest available hourly value; this is not a daily or population-weighted average.
When was PM2.5 highest in South Africa over the past week?
The highest available daily mean PM2.5 was 22.2 µg/m³ (October 2, 2026). This comparison covers 7 days with data in the seven days before October 7, 2026. The day of the latest reading is excluded because it may be incomplete.
Which cities in South Africa have the cleanest and most polluted air by PM2.5?
Lowest PM2.5: Pietermaritzburg (2.4 µg/m³). Highest PM2.5: Johannesburg, Soweto (117.3 µg/m³). This comparison covers 20 cities on October 7, 2026 using their latest available hourly values. Reading times may differ; this is not an annual-average ranking.
What period does the pollution history for South Africa cover?
Available monthly means cover 2017-08 - 2019-04. The tables include PM10. Missing values are marked with a dash, not treated as zero. Monthly archives and current model data may come from different sources.
Is the PM2.5 concentration for South Africa an AQI score?
No. PM2.5 and PM10 are concentrations in µg/m³. AQI is a separate index calculated using a defined scale. When comparing air quality, also check other pollutants, the date and the averaging period.
What UV index does the available forecast show for South Africa?
For October 6, 2026, the forecast UV index is 8.4. The UV section also shows the following available days.
What wind speed is forecast for South Africa?
For October 4, 2026, forecast wind speed is 40.1 km/h. The weather table includes wind, temperature and other available parameters for subsequent days.
PM2.5 · PM10 · NO₂ · O₃
Understanding air quality and pollution data
What do PM2.5 and PM10 mean?
PM2.5 and PM10 are fractions of airborne particulate matter. PM2.5 covers fine particles up to 2.5 micrometres in diameter, while PM10 covers particles up to 10 micrometres. Concentrations in µg/m³ tell you how many micrograms of particles are present in a cubic metre of air. Compare values over the same time period.
Where does the air pollution data come from?
The latest concentrations come from the CAMS atmospheric model via Open-Meteo for each city’s coordinates. Values describe a model area, so conditions on individual streets may differ. Historical monitoring station data is shown separately where available.
How does PM2.5 concentration differ from AQI?
PM2.5 is the concentration of one particle fraction, expressed in µg/m³. AQI is an index calculated using a particular scale and thresholds. The pollutant cards show concentrations. Our city ranking compares PM2.5; PM10, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and other available gases add to the picture of air quality.
Which dates do the values and charts cover?
Each current value has a data date and time. Current concentration cards show the latest available hour, daily charts summarise individual days, and monthly records let you compare longer periods. These values represent different time intervals.
How can I check pollution in my city?
Search for your city and open its air quality page. Start with PM2.5 and PM10, then check the other available pollutants and the data timestamp. Charts and tables help you compare concentrations over time. Weather and historical climate information complement the pollution data.