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South Africa · Southern Africa

Earthquakes in South Africa: live activity, map and history

Explore recent and historical earthquakes in South Africa, with live USGS-derived data, magnitude and depth statistics, regional hubs and an interactive globe.

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Events107
24h0
30 days1
12 months1
LargestM 5.4
avg_depth5.3 km
Quake Pulse Activity Index

South Africa

A high index means recent activity is high relative to the selected historical baseline. It does not mean that a larger earthquake is about to occur.

Quake Pulse Activity Index40/100Normal
Current 30 days0
Historical monthly median0.0
Historical percentileP40
M5+ in 30 days0
M6+ in 30 days0
Activity trendaround the historical range
Baseline months: 12Last calculation: 2026-09-03 06:17:39How the index works →
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Country snapshot

A compact comparison of recent activity using pre-calculated periods.

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Last 7 days1M4.5+ 0 · M6+ 0Max M 3.6
Last 30 days1M4.5+ 0 · M6+ 0Max M 3.6
Last 365 days1M4.5+ 0 · M6+ 0Max M 3.6
Quake Pulse

Recent activity vs baseline

Counts describe detected earthquakes and are not a forecast or hazard assessment.

M4.5+ · 30d0
Monthly reference0.1
Relative activity×0.0
Historical maximumM 5.4

Recent earthquakes — South Africa

30 days · Times shown in UTC.

1 events

Seismic activity

South Africa · 30 days

Magnitude distribution

South Africa · 30 days

Country activity: South Africa

Quake Pulse groups events assigned to South Africa from coordinate-based country boundaries, with a cautious text fallback for offshore events. The page combines recent activity with the historical catalogue so a short-lived sequence can be read in context.

Countries → · Country archive → · Live map →

Reference localities

Locality hubs are inferred from recurring USGS reference-place descriptions.

Orkney24 USGS referencesFochville16 USGS referencesStilfontein16 USGS referencesKlerksdorp10 USGS referencesCarletonville7 USGS referencesWelkom5 USGS referencesWestonaria5 USGS referenceseMbalenhle3 USGS referencesKutloanong2 USGS referencesSoweto2 USGS referencesBrandvlei1 USGS referencesKokstad1 USGS referencesGreytown1 USGS referencesPofadder1 USGS referencesVirginia1 USGS referencesPhalaborwa1 USGS references

Recent local earthquakes

Times shown in UTC.

MagnitudeLocationDepthTime
M 3.617 km E of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2026-10-07 12:35:08 UTCView event →
M 4.87 km SE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2025-07-10 11:48:50 UTCView event →
M 4.84 km NNE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2025-04-17 08:57:28 UTCView event →
M 5.289 km W of Brandvlei, South Africa10.0 km2024-12-22 00:51:05 UTCView event →
M 4.516 km ESE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2024-01-04 05:07:11 UTCView event →
M 4.66 km W of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2023-11-17 05:50:41 UTCView event →
M 4.9Gauteng, South Africa5.0 km2023-06-11 00:38:51 UTCView event →
M 4.543 km NNE of Kokstad, South Africa10.0 km2022-11-06 07:29:22 UTCView event →
M 4.644 km NNE of Greytown, South Africa9.4 km2022-11-05 12:32:09 UTCView event →
M 4.78 km NE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2022-08-19 18:24:32 UTCView event →
M 4.814 km E of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2022-07-17 09:19:30 UTCView event →
M 4.66 km SSW of Kutloanong, South Africa5.0 km2022-06-15 03:23:31 UTCView event →
M 4.714 km W of eMbalenhle, South Africa5.0 km2022-03-13 22:07:41 UTCView event →
M 4.591 km S of Pofadder, South Africa10.0 km2022-01-05 09:08:20 UTCView event →
M 4.515 km W of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2021-08-14 08:50:14 UTCView event →
M 4.54 km ENE of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2021-06-03 02:52:09 UTCView event →
M 4.88 km S of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2020-12-06 01:05:43 UTCView event →
M 4.86 km SSE of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2020-05-06 04:59:00 UTCView event →
M 4.66 km SSW of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2020-03-09 08:15:09 UTCView event →
M 4.56 km S of Carletonville, South Africa5.0 km2020-02-10 17:13:48 UTCView event →
M 4.511 km S of Welkom, South Africa5.0 km2020-01-25 11:39:54 UTCView event →
M 4.67 km WSW of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2019-08-10 16:58:26 UTCView event →
M 4.98 km WNW of Virginia, South Africa5.0 km2019-03-22 00:30:29 UTCView event →
M 4.86 km E of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2019-03-07 09:32:34 UTCView event →
M 4.96 km WSW of Soweto, South Africa5.0 km2019-03-01 04:56:45 UTCView event →
M 4.611 km SSE of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2018-12-24 20:47:27 UTCView event →
M 4.66 km WNW of eMbalenhle, South Africa5.0 km2018-11-25 23:47:40 UTCView event →
M 4.59 km W of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2018-09-18 18:09:13 UTCView event →
M 4.513 km SSW of Westonaria, South Africa5.0 km2018-06-29 01:17:28 UTCView event →
M 4.57 km SSE of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2018-04-20 01:27:32 UTCView event →
M 4.66 km E of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2018-03-28 06:22:05 UTCView event →
M 4.510 km NNE of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2018-03-14 15:55:00 UTCView event →
M 4.57 km SSW of Soweto, South Africa5.0 km2018-02-20 17:23:01 UTCView event →
M 4.528 km WNW of Phalaborwa, South Africa5.0 km2018-02-16 12:04:16 UTCView event →
M 4.510 km S of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2017-07-09 22:54:06 UTCView event →
M 4.58 km S of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2017-04-22 20:50:38 UTCView event →
M 5.27 km SSE of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2017-04-03 03:08:51 UTCView event →
M 4.59 km SSE of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2016-10-31 05:59:20 UTCView event →
M 4.529 km E of Prince Albert, South Africa10.0 km2016-10-18 06:25:33 UTCView event →
M 4.512 km SSW of Carletonville, South Africa5.0 km2016-08-25 15:44:25 UTCView event →
M 4.616 km ESE of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2016-03-24 16:16:03 UTCView event →
M 4.514 km ESE of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2016-01-28 15:02:04 UTCView event →
M 4.66 km N of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2015-06-11 23:27:34 UTCView event →
M 4.88 km ESE of Welkom, South Africa8.4 km2015-03-01 19:11:47 UTCView event →
M 4.611 km NNE of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2015-01-09 23:41:37 UTCView event →
M 4.515 km SSE of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2014-10-28 13:55:38 UTCView event →
M 4.512 km NNE of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2014-09-21 19:52:19 UTCView event →
M 4.614 km WSW of Carletonville, South Africa5.0 km2014-08-31 16:11:44 UTCView event →
M 4.610 km NE of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2014-08-31 14:40:02 UTCView event →
M 4.712 km SE of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2014-08-30 21:08:59 UTCView event →
M 4.68 km E of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2014-08-27 23:18:55 UTCView event →
M 4.518 km W of Orange Farm, South Africa5.0 km2014-08-21 23:14:45 UTCView event →
M 4.68 km NE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2014-08-08 15:06:03 UTCView event →
M 4.63 km NNW of Klerksdorp, South Africa5.0 km2014-08-07 15:10:03 UTCView event →
M 5.43 km ESE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2014-08-05 10:22:33 UTCView event →
M 4.98 km E of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2014-06-15 14:16:25 UTCView event →
M 4.833 km SE of Modimolle, South Africa5.0 km2013-12-02 19:18:06 UTCView event →
M 4.63 km S of Welkom, South Africa9.2 km2013-11-26 17:10:48 UTCView event →
M 4.58 km ESE of Carletonville, South Africa5.4 km2013-09-10 05:31:36 UTCView event →
M 4.643 km WSW of Nelspruit, South Africa5.0 km2013-07-07 14:52:14 UTCView event →
M 4.76 km ESE of Westonaria, South Africa5.0 km2012-08-16 15:39:04 UTCView event →
M 4.53 km NW of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2012-03-14 19:29:27 UTCView event →
M 4.96 km SW of Klerksdorp, South Africa5.0 km2011-12-28 03:22:06 UTCView event →
M 4.65 km WSW of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2011-12-27 10:25:19 UTCView event →
M 4.54 km NW of Welkom, South Africa5.0 km2011-10-05 20:48:59 UTCView event →
M 4.6South Africa5.0 km2011-04-06 23:34:53 UTCView event →
M 4.7South Africa5.0 km2011-03-09 21:35:45 UTCView event →
M 4.689 km W of Upington, South Africa5.0 km2011-02-21 21:19:12 UTCView event →
M 4.5South Africa5.0 km2010-11-12 22:53:46 UTCView event →
M 5.08 km NNW of Fochville, South Africa2.0 km2010-06-14 11:51:56 UTCView event →
M 4.513 km E of Orkney, South Africa2.0 km2010-02-15 21:09:16 UTCView event →
M 4.611 km S of Stilfontein, South Africa2.0 km2009-11-29 01:04:46 UTCView event →
M 4.77 km NW of Fochville, South Africa2.0 km2009-10-09 19:27:57 UTCView event →
M 5.08 km ENE of Orkney, South Africa2.0 km2009-03-16 14:05:42 UTCView event →
M 4.54 km E of Klerksdorp, South Africa5.0 km2008-11-23 01:52:44 UTCView event →
M 4.512 km ESE of Orkney, South Africa2.0 km2007-02-05 03:11:51 UTCView event →
M 4.614 km WSW of Carletonville, South Africa5.0 km2006-11-24 16:25:58 UTCView event →
M 4.84 km WSW of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2006-10-12 19:47:57 UTCView event →
M 4.57 km S of Westonaria, South Africa5.0 km2006-10-05 08:34:06 UTCView event →
M 4.73 km SSE of Klerksdorp, South Africa5.0 km2006-08-08 15:46:36 UTCView event →
M 4.72 km NW of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2006-04-29 20:57:37 UTCView event →
M 4.57 km NNE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2006-01-29 23:55:06 UTCView event →
M 4.810 km ESE of Orkney, South Africa2.0 km2005-10-12 14:10:34 UTCView event →
M 5.07 km SSE of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2005-03-09 10:15:31 UTCView event →
M 4.913 km WSW of Klerksdorp, South Africa5.0 km2005-02-17 23:08:46 UTCView event →
M 4.57 km W of Klerksdorp, South Africa5.0 km2005-01-25 18:10:35 UTCView event →
M 4.917 km WNW of Klerksdorp, South Africa10.0 km2004-09-06 10:44:38 UTCView event →
M 4.67 km S of Stilfontein, South Africa5.0 km2004-03-23 20:54:59 UTCView event →
M 4.87 km W of Kutloanong, South Africa5.0 km2003-10-11 11:32:44 UTCView event →
M 4.69 km SW of Carletonville, South Africa5.0 km2003-07-19 23:05:01 UTCView event →
M 4.714 km NNW of eMbalenhle, South Africa5.0 km2002-07-12 03:16:55 UTCView event →
M 5.04 km ENE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2002-05-27 16:22:36 UTCView event →
M 4.89 km WSW of Klerksdorp, South Africa5.0 km2002-03-23 00:52:07 UTCView event →
M 4.614 km W of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2002-03-21 16:05:31 UTCView event →
M 4.85 km E of Welkom, South Africa5.0 km2002-02-28 03:05:16 UTCView event →
M 4.54 km NNW of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2002-02-23 03:28:46 UTCView event →
M 4.754 km WSW of Ritchie, South Africa5.0 km2002-01-08 05:32:19 UTCView event →
M 4.98 km SW of Klerksdorp, South Africa5.0 km2001-07-31 22:22:22 UTCView event →
M 4.54 km ESE of Carletonville, South Africa5.0 km2001-06-26 20:31:52 UTCView event →
M 4.519 km ESE of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2001-06-14 13:43:05 UTCView event →
M 4.57 km W of Orkney, South Africa5.0 km2000-09-17 14:10:01 UTCView event →
M 4.98 km SSW of Westonaria, South Africa5.0 km2000-08-06 21:38:28 UTCView event →
M 4.913 km SSW of Allanridge, South Africa10.0 km2000-07-29 00:04:34 UTCView event →
M 4.79 km SW of Westonaria, South Africa10.0 km2000-07-13 20:35:29 UTCView event →
M 4.53 km SSE of Klerksdorp, South Africa10.0 km2000-04-07 18:29:42 UTCView event →
M 4.59 km W of Fochville, South Africa5.0 km2000-02-08 13:30:21 UTCView event →
M 4.718 km W of Vredefort, South Africa5.0 km2000-01-26 03:00:01 UTCView event →
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