Air quality in South Africa: where to check and what to do

Short answer. Check SAAQIS, the national air quality information system, which maps stations and publishes hourly data ¹. Its index runs from 1 "Good" to 10 "Hazardous"; Phaenyx found no official health advice per level. In the median city, fine particles are about 26 µg/m³, about five times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ ³⁵; background nitrogen dioxide, about 18.7 µg/m³, is also above the guideline ⁴⁵.

Where can I check air quality right now?

On SAAQIS, at saaqis.environment.gov.za ¹. The portal shows monitoring stations on a map and offers hourly monitoring data reports ¹. Look for the station closest to where you live, not just the nearest large city.

What do the index levels mean?

The SAAQIS station map colours its index on a scale of 1 to 10 ¹:

Phaenyx found no official page giving the pollutant thresholds or the health advice that goes with each level, so check the legend on the map before acting on a colour. Air quality index explained shows how common indexes work.

How polluted is the air on average?

Clearly above WHO guidelines. The population-weighted median of South African cities shows about 26 µg/m³ of PM2.5 (annual mean 2021-2023) ³, about five times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ ⁵. Nitrogen dioxide is about 18.7 µg/m³ ⁴, above the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³ ⁵. That NO2 figure is a regional background over roughly 80 km: a busy street will be higher. For people most at risk, see Sensitive people and polluted air and Children and polluted air.

What should I do on a bad air day, or with smoke or dust?

Phaenyx found no national official advice for bad air days, smoke or dust. Locally, the City of Cape Town's disaster guidelines say that if local authorities tell you to seal off the room you are in, close the windows and doors, switch off any fans or air conditioners, and seal the gaps around doorways with tape ². The general guides apply:

• Wildfire and veld fire smoke: see Wildfire smoke, A clean-air room at home and Masks for smoke.
• Dust: see Dust storms.
• Pollution episodes and ozone: see Pollution episodes and Ozone days.
• Chemical release: see Chemical shelter-in-place.
• Official warnings: see our South Africa alerts page.

A household plan can list who in your home is sensitive to polluted air and which room to keep closed when smoke arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Where is air quality published in South Africa?

On SAAQIS, the national air quality information system, which maps stations on a 1-10 index and publishes hourly monitoring data ¹.

Is South Africa's air above WHO guidelines?

Yes. PM2.5 is about 26 µg/m³ in the city median ³ against 5 µg/m³ ⁵, and background NO2, about 18.7 µg/m³, is above the 10 µg/m³ guideline ⁴⁵.

What should I do if told to seal my room?

Close windows and doors, switch off fans and air conditioners, and tape the gaps around doorways, as the City of Cape Town advises ².

Sources

1. Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) — South African Air Quality Information System - SAAQIS — https://saaqis.environment.gov.za/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
2. City of Cape Town — Disaster guidelines — https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/safety-in-the-home/natural-disasters-and-your-home/disaster-guidelines (accessed 2026-10-27)
3. Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group (ACAG), Washington University in St. Louis — Surface PM2.5, V6.GL.02.04 (annual mean 2021-2023) — https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/datasets/surface-pm2-5/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
4. Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) — CAMS global reanalysis (EAC4) — https://ads.atmosphere.copernicus.eu/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
5. World Health Organization (WHO) — WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) — https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240034228 (accessed 2026-10-27)