South Africa · Gauteng · 20 cities
Air quality in Gauteng today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Carletonville has the cleanest air of the 20 cities we track in Gauteng (AQI 42, Good), and Vanderbijlpark the worst (AQI 108, Unhealthy for sensitive groups). Randburg has the most tree cover, at 36.5% — #8 of 66 cities measured in South Africa.
Every city is measured the same way, over the same 2 km around its center: the air quality right now, from ground stations where there are any, and its tree cover.
AQI 77
Average right now
Moderate
- cities tracked
- 20
- average tree cover
- 13.6%
- South Africa: 21.8%
- worst air now: Vanderbijlpark
- 108
- cleanest air now: Carletonville
- 42
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Gauteng · average AQI 77
Air quality today across Gauteng, city by city
| Pretoria | 80Moderate | 15.0% | 47.1K | #45 of 66 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 69Moderate | 4.2% | 81.1K | #60 of 66 |
| Soweto | 66Moderate | 5.9% | 75.7K | #59 of 66 |
| Soshanguve | 108Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 3.1% | 100K | #62 of 66 |
| Evaton | 86Moderate | 2.7% | 85.8K | #63 of 66 |
| Benoni | 98Moderate | 13.2% | 52.4K | #49 of 66 |
| Thembisa | 71Moderate | 2.3% | 87.0K | #64 of 66 |
| Vereeniging | 108Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 17.2% | 54.8K | #42 of 66 |
| Krugersdorp | 66Moderate | 25.5% | 14.1K | #27 of 66 |
| Randburg | 69Moderate | 36.5% | — | #8 of 66 |
| Roodepoort | 66Moderate | 21.1% | 28.0K | #36 of 66 |
| Germiston | 69Moderate | 13.2% | 50.8K | #48 of 66 |
| Vanderbijlpark | 108Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 21.9% | 41.2K | #32 of 66 |
| Centurion | 71Moderate | 21.4% | 27.0K | #34 of 66 |
| Carletonville | 42Good | 22.8% | 22.6K | #29 of 66 |
| Westonaria | 57Moderate | 9.4% | 64.7K | #53 of 66 |
| Etwatwa | 57Moderate | 1.8% | 88.6K | #65 of 66 |
| Nigel | 78Moderate | 14.1% | 49.3K | #47 of 66 |
| Randfontein | 63Moderate | 14.2% | 49.6K | #46 of 66 |
| Tokoza | 105Unhealthy for sensitive groups | 7.0% | 87.7K | #56 of 66 |
Air quality is the US AQI from ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ where available, otherwise the Open-Meteo / CAMS model, refreshed hourly. Tree cover is measured within 2 km of each city center from Sentinel-2 imagery; the rank compares every city measured in South Africa.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Gauteng lost?
Since 2001, Gauteng has lost about 1,650 hectares of forest (about 2,300 football pitches): 26% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 730 hectares (44%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,650 haabout 2,300 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 26%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 730 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 25 ha | 11 ha | 35 ha |
| 2002 | 39 ha | 18 ha | 56 ha |
| 2003 | 32 ha | 25 ha | 58 ha |
| 2004 | 41 ha | 42 ha | 83 ha |
| 2005 | 31 ha | 12 ha | 43 ha |
| 2006 | 52 ha | 37 ha | 89 ha |
| 2007 | 79 ha | 101 ha | 180 ha |
| 2008 | 11 ha | 4 ha | 14 ha |
| 2009 | 32 ha | 15 ha | 47 ha |
| 2010 | 25 ha | 8 ha | 32 ha |
| 2011 | 18 ha | 25 ha | 44 ha |
| 2012 | 60 ha | 51 ha | 111 ha |
| 2013 | 39 ha | 90 ha | 129 ha |
| 2014 | 31 ha | 89 ha | 120 ha |
| 2015 | 15 ha | 31 ha | 46 ha |
| 2016 | 54 ha | 86 ha | 140 ha |
| 2017 | 39 ha | 34 ha | 72 ha |
| 2018 | 14 ha | 12 ha | 26 ha |
| 2019 | 20 ha | 83 ha | 103 ha |
| 2020 | 17 ha | 34 ha | 51 ha |
| 2021 | 15 ha | 19 ha | 34 ha |
| 2022 | 17 ha | 24 ha | 41 ha |
| 2023 | 4 ha | 12 ha | 16 ha |
| 2024 | 5 ha | 10 ha | 15 ha |
| 2025 | 14 ha | 53 ha | 68 ha |
Forest loss is slowing down: about 35 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 79 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2007, when about 180 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Gauteng?
- Loggingcan grow back53% · 876 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good35% · 587 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good7.6% · 126 ha
Also: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Source: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Global Forest Change (GFC-2025-v1.13); causes: WRI/Google DeepMind drivers of forest loss; both CC BY 4.0, summed by Airleaf for each area. How it's measured
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