Latest earthquakes near South Africa today
Complete overview of the latest earthquakes near the country South Africa, updated every minute. Did you feel an earthquake today in South Africa? If an earthquake is happening right now near South Africa, it will show up within minutes.
| Date and Time | Magnitude | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours ago (Apr 17 12:26 Johannesburg) |
M 3.6 | 177 km ENE from Phalaborwa |
| 12 hours ago (Apr 17 10:57 Johannesburg) |
M 3.9 | 9 km SE from Klerksdorp |
| 18 hours ago (Apr 17 05:08 Johannesburg) |
M 3.1 | 13 km E from Carletonville |
| 1 day ago (Apr 16 19:39 Johannesburg) |
M 3.0 | 14 km ESE from Carletonville |
| 4 days ago (Apr 13 09:25 Johannesburg) |
M 3.2 | 120 km N from Phalaborwa |
| 14 days ago (Apr 3 15:14 Johannesburg) |
M 3.3 | 103 km W from Welkom |
| 18 days ago (Mar 30 14:36 Johannesburg) |
M 3.6 | 145 km WNW from Queenstown |
| 18 days ago (Mar 30 07:22 Johannesburg) |
M 3.0 | 9 km N from Pretoria |
| 22 days ago (Mar 26 09:32 Johannesburg) |
M 3.0 | 100 km SW from Newcastle |
| 28 days ago (Mar 20 18:15 Johannesburg) |
M 3.8 | 58 km NW from Newcastle |
| 29 days ago (Mar 18 23:28 Johannesburg) |
M 3.1 | 132 km SSE from Cape Town |
| 33 days ago (Mar 15 16:41 Johannesburg) |
M 3.6 | 90 km N from Witbank |
| 33 days ago (Mar 15 13:27 Johannesburg) |
M 3.4 | 79 km ESE from Witbank |
| 40 days ago (Mar 8 02:27 Johannesburg) |
M 3.4 | 14 km WSW from Diepsloot |
| 49 days ago (Feb 27 18:56 Johannesburg) |
M 3.2 | 100 km ESE from Phalaborwa |
| 50 days ago (Feb 26 15:00 Johannesburg) |
M 3.1 | 76 km WNW from Nelspruit |
| 53 days ago (Feb 23 12:24 Johannesburg) |
M 3.1 | 193 km NE from Phalaborwa |
| 54 days ago (Feb 22 13:28 Johannesburg) |
M 3.0 | 19 km ENE from Middelburg |
| 56 days ago (Feb 20 09:14 Johannesburg) |
M 3.0 | 7 km S from Carletonville |
| 56 days ago (Feb 20 03:25 Johannesburg) |
M 3.1 | 14 km SE from Carletonville |
| 57 days ago (Feb 19 01:40 Johannesburg) |
M 3.0 | 8 km WSW from Rustenburg |
| 62 days ago (Feb 14 13:17 Johannesburg) |
M 3.1 | 49 km E from Benoni |
| 63 days ago (Feb 13 16:57 Johannesburg) |
M 3.0 | 46 km E from Newcastle |
| 66 days ago (Feb 10 09:06 Johannesburg) |
M 3.1 | 5 km S from Tembisa |
| 73 days ago (Feb 3 11:32 Johannesburg) |
M 3.0 | 15 km ESE from Klerksdorp |
Map of Latest Earthquakes near South Africa
South Africa Earthquake Statistics
Average
A total of 106 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or above have struck within 300 km (186 mi) of South Africa in the past 10 years. This comes down to a yearly average of 10 earthquakes per year
A relatively large number of earthquakes occurred near South Africa in 2018. A total of 20 earthquakes (mag 4+) were detected within 300 km of South Africa that year. The strongest had a 4.6 magnitude.
Magnitude Distribution
The table below visualizes the distribution of all earthquakes that occurred within 300km of South Africa in the past 10 years. No earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 or above have occurred near South Africa during this time. Usually, higher magnitudes are less common than lower magnitudes. Small earthquakes with a magnitude below 4 on the Richter scale have been omitted from this overview.
| Magnitude | Earthquakes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Mag. 4 | 104 | 98.11% |
| Mag. 5 | 2 | 1.89% |
| Mag. 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mag. 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mag. 8 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mag. 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mag. 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Strongest earthquakes near South Africa
The strongest recent earthquake of the past 10 years near South Africa occurred on Dec 22, 2024 02:51 local time (Africa/Johannesburg timezone). It had a magnitude of 5.2 and struck 271 kilometers (168 mi) south-west of Upington, at a depth of 10 km. Discover more strong earthquakes near South Africa in the list below.
A longer time ago, a MAG-6.8 earthquake struck on Dec 31, 1932 08:30, 120 kilometers (75 mi) south-west of Richards Bay. It is the strongest earthquake near South Africa in the past 125 years (Our data goes back to January 1st, 1900).
In the table below you will find the strongest earthquakes that occurred near South Africa in the past 10 years. You can use the tabs to find the heaviest historic earthquakes since the year 1900 or within a specific year or distance from South Africa.
| Date and Time | Magnitude | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 22, 2024 02:51 (Johannesburg) |
M 5.2 | 271 km SW from Upington |
| Apr 3, 2017 05:08 (Johannesburg) |
M 5.2 | 15 km ESE from Klerksdorp |
| Mar 1, 2019 06:56 (Johannesburg) |
M 4.9 | 6 km WSW from Soweto |
| Aug 12, 2017 04:37 (Johannesburg) |
M 4.9 | 279 km NW from Rustenburg |
| Jun 11, 2023 02:38 (Johannesburg) |
M 4.9 | 18 km SE from Johannesburg |
| Mar 22, 2019 02:30 (Johannesburg) |
M 4.9 | 11 km SSE from Welkom |
| Dec 6, 2020 03:05 (Johannesburg) |
M 4.8 | 12 km SE from Klerksdorp |
| May 6, 2020 06:59 (Johannesburg) |
M 4.8 | 13 km ESE from Klerksdorp |
| Mar 7, 2019 11:32 (Johannesburg) |
M 4.8 | 39 km SW from Soweto |
| Jul 17, 2022 11:19 (Johannesburg) |
M 4.8 | 21 km SE from Klerksdorp |
Map of Strongest Earthquakes near South Africa
Earthquakes by region of South Africa
Click the links below for earthquake reports for regions in South Africa.
- Eastern Cape (KwaXhosa)
- Gauteng (IGauteng)
- KwaZulu-Natal (KwaZulu-Natali)
- Limpopo
- Mpumalanga
- North-West
- Northern Cape
- Orange Free State (Free State)
- Western Cape
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions are commonly asked in relation to earthquakes occurring near South Africa.
When was the last earthquake in South Africa?
A 3.6 magnitude earthquake hit near South Africa on the afternoon of April 17, 2025 at 12:26 local time (Africa/Johannesburg). The center of this earthquake was located 177km east-northeast of Phalaborwa at a depth of 10km under land. Check the list on our website for any earthquakes occurring near South Africa in the past hours.
What was the strongest earthquake near South Africa?
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit near South Africa on the morning of December 31, 1932 at 08:30 local time (Africa/Johannesburg). The center of this earthquake was located 120km east-southeast of Richards Bay at a depth of 15km under water in the Indian Ocean. This is the strongest earthquake that occurred near South Africa since the year 1900.
How often do earthquakes occur near South Africa?
In the past 10 years, 106 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or higher occurred within a 300 kilometer range from South Africa. This averages to 11 earthquakes yearly, or one earthquake every 34 days.
