Largest earthquakes in or near South Africa on record since 1900 - list, stats and map

Updated: May 30, 2023 14:21 GMT - refresh

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Quakes since 1900:

18 quakes above magnitude 6
93 quakes between magnitude 5 and 6

Since 1900, South Africa has had 18 quakes of magnitude 6.0 or above and 93 quakes between 5.0 and 6.0. See all quakes in the past 24 hours!

Latest quake: Mag. 6.0 | Indian Ocean, South Africa -

Strongest quake: Mag. 6.8 | 119 km SE of Richards Bay, South Africa -

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Quakes in or near South Africa | Worldwide

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Showing quakes since 1900, magnitude 5 or higher (111 quakes):

Date and time	Mag Depth	Nearest volcano (distance)	Location	Details	Map
Dec 18, 2021 10:05 pm (GMT +2) (Dec 18, 2021 20:05 GMT)	6.0 10 km	327 km (203 mi)	Indian Ocean, South Africa 5 reports	More
Oct 4, 2021 6:12 am (GMT +2) (Oct 4, 2021 04:12 GMT)	5.2 10 km	307 km (191 mi)	Indian Ocean, South Africa	More
Aug 7, 2021 3:42 pm (GMT +2) (Aug 7, 2021 13:42 GMT)	5.3 10 km	327 km (203 mi)	Indian Ocean, South Africa 2 reports	More
Dec 28, 2019 15:36 GMT	5.5 10 km	229 km (142 mi)	Indian Ocean, South Africa	More
Oct 13, 2019 12:21 GMT	5.1 10 km	285 km (177 mi)	Indian Ocean, South Africa	More
Jul 4, 2017 11:37 GMT	5.0 10 km	1748 km (1086 mi)	Ghanzi, 244 km north of Gaborone, Botswana 2 reports	More
Apr 5, 2017 00:55 GMT	5.1 10 km	1760 km (1094 mi)	Ghanzi, 217 km north of Gaborone, Botswana 6 reports	More
Apr 3, 2017 17:40 GMT	6.7 22 km	1752 km (1089 mi)	Ghanzi, 233 km north of Gaborone, Botswana 604 reports	More
Apr 3, 2017 03:08 GMT	5.1 10 km	2103 km (1307 mi)	8.7 km northeast of Orkney, South Africa 47 reports	More
Nov 21, 2016 13:00 GMT	5.0 10 km	276 km (171 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2244 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More
Oct 29, 2016 00:33 GMT	5.2 10 km	410 km (255 mi)	Indian Ocean	More
Feb 25, 2016 22:39 GMT	5.3 10 km	349 km (217 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2417 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More
Oct 23, 2015 04:04 GMT	6.0 10 km	114 km (71 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2375 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More
Jun 24, 2015 22:59 GMT	5.3 10 km	2097 km (1303 mi)	50 km north of Beaufort West, South Africa	More
Nov 17, 2014 16:52 GMT	6.2 33 km	303 km (188 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2366 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More
Saturday, October 18, 2014 19:23:58 (Oct 18, 2014 17:23 GMT)	5.0 21 km	325 km (202 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2396 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More
Tuesday, August 05, 2014 12:22:34 (Aug 5, 2014 10:22 GMT)	5.3 10 km	2109 km (1310 mi)	6.8 km east of Orkney, South Africa 283 reports	More
Jun 25, 2014 09:29 GMT	5.0 10 km	311 km (193 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2412 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More
Friday, September 06, 2013 04:28:10 (Sep 6, 2013 02:28 GMT)	5.3 10 km	320 km (199 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2417 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More
Monday, July 22, 2013 09:01:42 (Jul 22, 2013 07:01 GMT)	6.1 10 km	244 km (152 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2333 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More
Wed, 29 May 2013 16:47 (May 29, 2013 14:47 GMT)	5.1 10.1 km	326 km (203 mi)	Indian Ocean, 2405 km south of Pretoria, South Africa	More

Estimated combined seismic energy released: 4.8 x 10¹⁵ joules (1335 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 1.1 x 10⁶ tons of TNT or 71.8 atomic bombs!) | about seismic energy

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South Africa Earthquake FAQ

When was the latest earthquake in South Africa?

The last earthquake in South Africa occurred 1 year 24 weeks ago: Very strong mag. 6.0 earthquake - Indian Ocean, South Africa, on Saturday, Dec 18, 2021 at 10:05 pm (GMT +2).

How many quakes were there in South Africa since 1900?

Since 1900, South Africa had 111 quakes up to magnitude 6.8.

What was the strongest quake in South Africa since 1900?

The strongest earthquake in South Africa since 1900 occurred 90 years ago: Major magnitude 6.8 earthquake - 119 km southeast of Richards Bay, South Africa, on Saturday, December 31, 1932 at 06:30 GMT.

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