Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Cape Town
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Cape Town has lost about 642 hectares of forest (about 900 football pitches): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 139 hectares (22%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 4,280 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 642 ha15% of it, about 900 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 139 hadeforestation, 22% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2018147 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from March 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km south-west of the city centre.
Satellite photos of the same 5 × 5 km area, one per year, all taken in the same season so the colours compare. You can see forest being cleared and towns spreading, though not single trees. Download the before/after image (free to reuse with credit to Airleaf).
Year by year
Forest lost around Cape Town, year by year
The worst year was 2018, when about 147 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 14 ha | 14 ha | 28 ha |
| 2002 | 5 ha | 6 ha | 11 ha |
| 2003 | 11 ha | 20 ha | 31 ha |
| 2004 | 5 ha | 5 ha | 10 ha |
| 2005 | 4 ha | 6 ha | 10 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | 17 ha | 18 ha |
| 2007 | 6 ha | 22 ha | 29 ha |
| 2008 | 11 ha | 9 ha | 20 ha |
| 2009 | 4 ha | 19 ha | 23 ha |
| 2010 | 10 ha | 3 ha | 13 ha |
| 2011 | 9 ha | 11 ha | 20 ha |
| 2012 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2013 | 5 ha | 9 ha | 15 ha |
| 2014 | 7 ha | 11 ha | 18 ha |
| 2015 | 1 ha | 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2016 | 3 ha | 11 ha | 14 ha |
| 2017 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2018 | 6 ha | 141 ha | 147 ha |
| 2019 | 5 ha | 14 ha | 19 ha |
| 2020 | 3 ha | 51 ha | 54 ha |
| 2021 | 8 ha | 96 ha | 103 ha |
| 2022 | 1 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2023 | 3 ha | 4 ha | 6 ha |
| 2024 | 4 ha | 22 ha | 26 ha |
| 2025 | 8 ha | 10 ha | 18 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 2,770 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 2,720 ha
- Overall change
- −55 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Cape Town stayed about the same size, at about 2,720 hectares: new forest grew on about 85 hectares, and about 141 hectares were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation around Cape Town?
- 22%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 78%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Wildfires63% · 407 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging14% · 92 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads12% · 80 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations9.3% · 59 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
Also, each under 1%: unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Nearby cities losing forest
| City | Forest lost (10 km) | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gqeberha | 2,350 ha | 55% | 198 ha |
Use this data
Put Cape Town's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Cape Town
How much forest has Cape Town lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Cape Town has lost about 642 hectares of forest (about 900 football pitches): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 139 hectares (22%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
What is causing deforestation around Cape Town?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (63%), logging (14%), towns and roads (12%). About 139 hectares was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
What was the worst year for forest loss around Cape Town?
The worst year was 2018, when about 147 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Is the forest around Cape Town growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Cape Town stayed about the same size, at about 2,720 hectares: new forest grew on about 85 hectares, and about 141 hectares were lost. These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Can I see satellite images of Cape Town over the years?
Yes. The timelapse at the top of this page has a satellite photo for every year from 2017 to 2026 of a 5 × 5 km area near Cape Town, where the most forest was lost. Press play to watch it change, or turn on "Show cleared forest" to see exactly where trees were lost.
How is forest loss measured?
We use satellite maps from the University of Maryland (Hansen and colleagues) that show, for every 30 × 30 m patch of land on Earth, the year its trees were cut down, burned or died, from 2001 to 2025. We add up those patches within 10 km of the centre of Cape Town, counting only places that were at least 30% covered by trees in 2000. The cause of each loss comes from a map made by the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind. All figures are estimates.