Exposure to fine particles in South Africa: an ignored health emergency

An alarming report on air quality

On June 3, 2025, Greenpeace Africa and the Centre for Energy and Clean Air Research (Crea) published a damning report on air pollution in South Africa. The findings highlight dangerously high exposure to fine particles, mainly in industrial areas such as Johannesburg and Mpumalanga. These pollution levels, largely due to coal-fired power stations and petrochemical complexes, have dramatic consequences for public health.

Pollution that kills in silence

According to the report, the year 2023 saw some 42,000 premature deaths attributable to air pollution, including more than 1,200 children under the age of five. The economic cost of this health crisis is estimated at 960 billion rand, or 14% of South Africa’s GDP. These figures reflect a health disaster that is all too often relegated to the background.

Invisible managers and lax regulation

In the most polluted areas, residents live with the effects of pollution on a daily basis. Sharon Mbonani, a resident of one of Sasol’s largest plants, denounces the impunity of large industrial companies: “No one is held responsible…”. The report also criticizes national air quality standards, which are much more lax than WHO standards, and calls for an immediate overhaul of authorized thresholds.

Conclusion: an urgent environmental and human crisis

Exposure to fine particles in South Africa can no longer be ignored. It is a major issue of public health and environmental justice. Given the scale of the damage, the authors of the report call on the South African government to act quickly, by tightening regulations, better monitoring air quality, and holding polluters to account. Otherwise, the population will continue to pay a heavy price for avoidable pollution.