Significant Earthquakes in South Africa
Every significant earthquake NOAA records in South Africa, with its toll.
Map
Every significant earthquake in South Africa with a location. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The record
- Earthquakes
- 14
- Deaths counted
- 55
- Earliest
- 1809
The deadliest
- July 21, 1997, Avgold'S Hartebeestfontein Mine, South Africa
- September 29, 1969, Cape Province, South Africa
- October 18, 1990, Charletonville, South Africa
- May 3, 2018, West Rand, South Africa
- December 8, 1976, South Africa
- September 26, 1990, Welkom, South Africa
- March 9, 2005, Klerksdorp, Stilfontein, South Africa
- December 6, 2009, Carletonville, South Africa
- August 5, 2014, Orkney, South Africa
Every earthquake
Newest first.
- May 3, 2018, West Rand, South Africa
- August 5, 2014, Orkney, South Africa
- December 6, 2009, Carletonville, South Africa
- March 9, 2005, Klerksdorp, Stilfontein, South Africa
- February 7, 2000, Mbabane-Manzini, South Africa, Swaziland
- July 21, 1997, Avgold'S Hartebeestfontein Mine, South Africa
- October 18, 1990, Charletonville, South Africa
- September 26, 1990, Welkom, South Africa
- October 5, 1986, Mount Frere, Durban, South Africa
- December 8, 1976, South Africa
- October 5, 1969, Tulbagh, South Africa
- September 29, 1969, Cape Province, South Africa
- November 10, 1942, Prince Edward Island, South Africa
- December 4, 1809, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
By country
- Afghanistan72
- Albania56
- Algeria58
- Antarctica7
- Antigua and Barbuda3
- Argentina39
- Armenia13
- Atlantic Ocean7
- Australia34
- Austria8
- Azerbaijan17
- Azores28
- Bangladesh19
- Barbados1
- Belgium1
- Bering Sea1
- Bhutan5
- Bolivia19
- Bosnia and Herzegovina11
- Brazil13
- British Virgin Islands1
- Bulgaria18
- Burundi1
- Cameroon2
- Canada22
- Canary Islands2
- Central African Republic1
- Chile200
- China626
- Colombia83
- Comoros1
- Congo7
- Costa Rica37
- Cote d'Ivoire2
- Croatia53
- Cuba15
- Cyprus10
- Czech Republic1
- Djibouti2
- Dominica1
- Dominican Republic19
- Ecuador70
- Egypt17
- El Salvador42
- Eritrea6
- Ethiopia11
- Fiji20
- France43
- French Guiana2
- French Polynesia1
- Gabon1
- Georgia15
- Germany9
- Ghana6
- Greece296
- Greenland1
- Grenada1
- Guadeloupe9
- Guatemala47
- Guinea1
- Haiti21
- Honduras15
- Hungary5
- Iceland17
- India102
- Indian Ocean3
- Indonesia427
- Iran388
- Iraq24
- Ireland1
- Israel24
- Italy338
- Jamaica19
- Japan429
- Jordan5
- Kazakhstan9
- Kenya3
- Kermadec Islands23
- Kiribati1
- Kyrgyzstan15
- Laos2
- Lebanon14
- Libya2
- Madagascar1
- Malawi4
- Malaysia3
- Martinique10
- Mexico217
- Micronesia5
- Mongolia7
- Montenegro10
- Montserrat1
- Morocco21
- Mozambique3
- Myanmar43
- Nepal21
- Netherlands4
- New Caledonia28
- New Zealand72
- Nicaragua40
- North Korea6
- North Macedonia13
- Norway2
- Oman2
- Pacific Ocean2
- Pakistan55
- Palau1
- Panama23
- Papua New Guinea107
- Peru195
- Philippines233
- Poland8
- Portugal29
- Romania15
- Russia159
- Rwanda5
- Saint Lucia2
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1
- Samoa8
- Saudi Arabia3
- Senegal1
- Serbia15
- Sierra Leone1
- Slovakia3
- Slovenia22
- Solomon Islands63
- Solomon Sea2
- South Africa14
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands7
- South Korea22
- South Sudan4
- Spain35
- Sri Lanka1
- Sudan1
- Switzerland31
- Syria34
- Taiwan103
- Tajikistan29
- Tanzania8
- Tasman Sea1
- Thailand4
- Togo2
- Tonga26
- Trinidad and Tobago8
- Tunisia9
- Turkey360
- Turkmenistan12
- Uganda4
- UK Territories2
- Ukraine12
- United Kingdom15
- United States283
- Uruguay2
- US Territories39
- Uzbekistan14
- Vanuatu65
- Venezuela65
- Vietnam6
- Wallis and Futuna1
- Yemen10
- Zambia1
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24.