Oudtshoorn ranked tops for air quality in South Africa

This is according to the 2022 World Air Quality Report.  

Some of the least polluted cities in South Africa include Grabouw, Nieuwoudtville, Knysna, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Hendrina, Mokopane, KwaMbonamb, Bethlehem, Secunda and Howick.  

Thabazimbi in Limpopo, which is a well-known a mining town, has been ranked amongst cities with the poorest air quality in Africa, followed by Ekurhuleni. 

Thabazimbi experienced several fire breakouts in 2022 which saw concentrations of air pollutants rise by 50% compared to 2021. 

The report assesses air quality data from monitoring stations across more than 7 300 cities globally.  

It considers the concentrations of fine particles of an air pollutant known as PM2.5 which is the most harmful. 

PM2.5 includes particles of sulfates, nitrates, black carbon and ammonium, the report indicated.  

According to the report, PM2.5 can be produced from human activities like burning wood and coal, agricultural processes, industrial activity and processes, power generation, and from vehicle engines.  

Natural sources of PM2.5 are dust storms, wildfires and sandstorms, the report indicated. 

Long-term exposure to PM2.5 negatively impacts health, and individuals can suffer respiratory illnesses like heart disease. It can also negatively impact mental health, the report indicates. 

According to the report, South Africa ranked 39th out of 131 countries in terms of worst air quality in 2022. 

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for PM2.5 concentrations is five micrograms per cubic meter or 5 μg/m3 annually. South Africa's concentration of PM2.5 in 2022 was 23.4 μg/m3 – nearly five times more than the WHO guideline. South Africa ranked 39th out of 131 countries in terms of worst air quality in 2022. Chad ranked first - being the worst in terms of air quality with PM2.5 concentrations at 89.7 μg/m3”. 

“Concentrations of PM2.5 deteriorated from the 22.7 μg/m3 recorded in 2021. The report, however, noted that there has been an improvement in air quality in most South African cities. For example, PM2.5 concentrations for Johannesburg was 21.7 μg/m3 (an improvement from 27.3μg/m3). Bloemfontein recorded a major (62%) improvement from 42.2 μg/m3 recorded last year to 16.2 μg/m3 recorded in 2022. It did not say what drove the massive improvement”. 

The analysis shows that 12 out of 15 regional cities in Africa which have the least air pollution are in South Africa.  

Last year, eight of South Africa's cities including Bloemfontein, Tshwane and Johannesburg were among those listed as most polluted in Africa.  

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