Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in South Africa
Since 2001, South Africa has lost about 1.66 million hectares of forest (about 17,000 km²): 28% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 169,000 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 5.96 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1.66 million ha28% of it, about 17,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 169,000 hadeforestation, 10% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2006105,000 ha lost
Map
Where South Africa has lost forest
Every square kilometre of South Africa as satellites saw it from 2000 to 2025. Yellow and green were forest; red to white marks where it has been lost since 2001, and when.
- Forest cover in 2000
- 0%25%50%75%100%How much of the land was forest: dark purple had little or none, yellow was dense forest.
- Year the forest was lost
- 200120132025Where forest was cut down, burned or cleared since 2001: red for the early years, through orange, to white for the most recent. Solid where a fifth or more of a place's forest went, fainter where 8% or more did.
- Cities
- The capital (the larger dot) and the biggest cities, to help you find your way.
Year by year
Forest lost in South Africa, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 37,600 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 73,500 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2006, when about 105,000 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5,980 ha | 71,400 ha | 77,400 ha |
| 2002 | 4,280 ha | 43,300 ha | 47,500 ha |
| 2003 | 6,110 ha | 86,300 ha | 92,400 ha |
| 2004 | 9,070 ha | 63,400 ha | 72,400 ha |
| 2005 | 6,660 ha | 97,700 ha | 104,000 ha |
| 2006 | 8,440 ha | 96,300 ha | 105,000 ha |
| 2007 | 7,230 ha | 39,700 ha | 46,900 ha |
| 2008 | 6,830 ha | 74,400 ha | 81,200 ha |
| 2009 | 6,110 ha | 60,900 ha | 67,000 ha |
| 2010 | 4,760 ha | 56,200 ha | 61,000 ha |
| 2011 | 5,720 ha | 63,700 ha | 69,400 ha |
| 2012 | 5,440 ha | 79,300 ha | 84,800 ha |
| 2013 | 6,640 ha | 49,500 ha | 56,200 ha |
| 2014 | 8,780 ha | 61,100 ha | 69,900 ha |
| 2015 | 7,330 ha | 62,200 ha | 69,600 ha |
| 2016 | 9,260 ha | 63,600 ha | 72,900 ha |
| 2017 | 11,200 ha | 82,300 ha | 93,500 ha |
| 2018 | 8,850 ha | 54,700 ha | 63,500 ha |
| 2019 | 7,180 ha | 68,600 ha | 75,700 ha |
| 2020 | 8,380 ha | 53,700 ha | 62,100 ha |
| 2021 | 6,890 ha | 45,000 ha | 51,900 ha |
| 2022 | 5,100 ha | 35,700 ha | 40,800 ha |
| 2023 | 4,460 ha | 25,000 ha | 29,500 ha |
| 2024 | 4,030 ha | 34,700 ha | 38,700 ha |
| 2025 | 4,670 ha | 22,600 ha | 27,300 ha |
The satellite method improved in 2011, so compare recent years with each other rather than with the 2000s. Hover over or tap a year for its figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation in South Africa?
- 10%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 89%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Logging77% · 1.29 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires12% · 195,000 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations9.1% · 151,000 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%: towns and roads, mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, shifting farming, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Is all forest loss deforestation?
No. When forest is cleared for farms, mines or towns, it is gone for good: that is deforestation. When it is logged or burned, it usually grows back. We count both as forest lost, but only the first as deforestation, so a country with a bad fire year isn't shown as clearing its forest for good.
Provinces that lost the most
| Province | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| KwaZulu-Natal | 641,000 ha | 29% | 56,900 ha |
| Mpumalanga | 503,000 ha | 56% | 20,600 ha |
| Western Cape | 228,000 ha | 30% | 32,500 ha |
| Eastern Cape | 207,000 ha | 13% | 44,400 ha |
| Limpopo | 74,400 ha | 19% | 11,100 ha |
| Free State | 2,740 ha | 19% | 1,330 ha |
| North West | 2,510 ha | 17% | 1,540 ha |
| Gauteng | 1,650 ha | 26% | 730 ha |
| Northern Cape | 427 ha | 8.2% | 258 ha |
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| George | 4,510 ha | 28% | 1,760 ha |
| Richards Bay | 4,370 ha | 40% | 380 ha |
| Vryheid | 3,840 ha | 72% | 30 ha |
| Paarl | 2,520 ha | 36% | 446 ha |
| Pietermaritzburg | 2,440 ha | 24% | 285 ha |
| Gqeberha | 2,350 ha | 55% | 198 ha |
| Somerset West | 2,040 ha | 47% | 759 ha |
| Mbombela | 1,250 ha | 12% | 750 ha |
| Mdantsane | 1,100 ha | 7% | 1,010 ha |
| East London | 887 ha | 12% | 772 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in South Africa
A satellite photo a year since 2017, with the forest lost marked on it, and the figures for each city.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in South Africa
How much forest has South Africa lost since 2001?
Since 2001, South Africa has lost about 1.66 million hectares of forest (about 17,000 km²): 28% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 169,000 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in South Africa getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 37,600 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 73,500 hectares a year in 2016–2020. These are five-year averages from 2011 on, the years the satellite maps were all made the same way.
What is causing deforestation in South Africa?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (77%), wildfires (12%), farms, pasture and plantations (9.1%). About 169,000 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 in South Africa?
The worst year was 2006, when about 105,000 hectares of forest 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 in South Africa, 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.