Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in South Africa
South Africa has catalogued 191 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 60th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.8.
South Africa ranks 60th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 9 M4+ events a year alongside 3 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is thin - 3 events in all, so a single quake moves every figure on this page.
- 191
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 3
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M6.8
- Strongest
- ~9
- M4+ per year
The verdict
South Africa is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 191 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 3 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.8.
- 1919
- busiest year (1 major events)
- 14 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.4 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Mongolia sits immediately above at 196 events and Morocco sits immediately below at 187.
Where South Africa sits in the catalog
Rank 60th of 187 tracked countries (68th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Mongolia sits immediately above at 196 events and Morocco sits immediately below at 187.
South Africa's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
191 Top 32% higher than 68% of 187 countries
Each bar is a 500-wide band; taller bars hold more countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) · 2005-present
How South Africa compares to its nearest peers
South Africa ranks in the 68th percentile for M4+ frequency among all 187 tracked countries. Plotted here against its 20 nearest-ranked peers by how OFTEN they shake (M4+ count) against how HARD the strongest one ever hit (max recorded magnitude).
Read the chart (all 21 values)
| Country | M4+ events | Strongest magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Somalia | 332 | M5.8 |
| Australia | 285 | M6.6 |
| Albania | 273 | M6.4 |
| Honduras | 269 | M7.5 |
| Djibouti | 260 | M5.5 |
| Algeria | 245 | M6.0 |
| Mayotte | 232 | M5.9 |
| Haiti | 217 | M7.2 |
| MX | 202 | M5.8 |
| Mongolia | 196 | M6.7 |
| South Africa (this page) | 191 | M5.4 |
| Morocco | 187 | M6.8 |
| Iraq | 185 | M7.3 |
| Saint Helena | 184 | M6.0 |
| Romania | 183 | M5.6 |
| Kazakhstan | 174 | M6.1 |
| Azerbaijan | 169 | M5.6 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 161 | M6.8 |
| Guadeloupe | 152 | M6.5 |
| Turkmenistan | 143 | M5.4 |
| Mauritius | 135 | M6.0 |
Major (M6+) earthquakes in South Africa by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1919
1919: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1932
1932: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1969
1969: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows South Africa's most active year for major earthquakes was 1919 (1 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
0 of 191 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 3 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for South Africa.
M6.0-6.9
3
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 3 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 14 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
3
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in South Africa
The 3 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.8 | 120 km ESE of Richards Bay, South Africa | 15.0 km | Dec 31, 1932 |
| 6.3 | 15 km NNE of Ceres, South Africa | 12.0 km | Sep 29, 1969 |
| 6.3 | 38 km S of Driefontein, South Africa | 15.0 km | Oct 31, 1919 |
Significant earthquake record (3 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in South Africa since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | 15 km NNE of Ceres, South Africa | 12.0 km | Sep 29, 1969 |
| 6.8 | 120 km ESE of Richards Bay, South Africa | 15.0 km | Dec 31, 1932 |
| 6.3 | 38 km S of Driefontein, South Africa | 15.0 km | Oct 31, 1919 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A South Africa-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second South Africa-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in South Africa? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in South Africa? ▼
How seismically active is South Africa? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in South Africa? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About South Africa's figures
191 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.8 · average M4.4 · 3 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Feb 8, 2026. Computed from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). See the methodology and USGS ComCat.
Disclaimer: PlainQuake is informational only, not an emergency service or engineering advice. See our full disclaimer.
What South Africa's numbers mean
South Africa ranks 60th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 9 M4+ earthquakes strike South Africa per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1919 was the busiest year on record with 1 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 100% of South Africa's catalogued major earthquakes are shallow (under 70km) - shallow events generally produce stronger surface shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. How depth affects shaking
- The strongest catalogued event reached M6.8. Compare against neighboring or similarly-ranked countries before drawing conclusions from magnitude alone. Compare strongest earthquakes
Figures reflect the USGS ComCat catalog (M4+ since 2005, M6+ significant events since 1900) - not a real-time hazard assessment. For official guidance, see the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 315,341 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,428 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-07-19.