If you live in one of the following South African cities and you battle to breathe the air, it’s no coincidence. A new World Air Quality Report by IQAir has revealed the best and worst towns and cities in South Africa to breathe the air, reports Business Tech.
The report states that air quality overall in South Africa has improved by 14.8% in two years. However, there are multiple cities and towns across the country where you wouldn’t want to breathe the air. Moreover, one town in Gauteng has the worst air quality in all of Africa …
DON’T BREATHE THE AIR
Delving into the minutiae of the report, South Africa is 47 out of 134 countries globally for air pollution levels, and 16th on the African continent. That may not sound too bad, but that does put us in the top third of heaviest polluters worldwide. Our air contains pollution that is four-times higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended amount.
The report notes that when you breathe the air in a polluted city, exposure leads to and exacerbates numerous health conditions. These include asthma, cancer, stroke, and lung disease. So, be careful …
BEST AND WORST IN MZANSI
In terms of South Africa, Pretoria continues an impressive trend of air pollution reduction which began in 2019 and has not slowed (a 17.2% overall decrease). The best air quality can be found in Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape and Bot Rivier in the Western Cape (the only two towns to come in below the WHO recommended figure).
The worst air is in Benoni, Gauteng, which ranks as the dirtiest in all of Africa. Benoni is closely followed by Bloemfontein in the Free State. Worryingly, Bloemfontein has seen an increase of more than three times its pollution concentration since 2022. We wonder what’s cause for this rapid increase.
FOSSIL FUELS
“Two of the biggest contributors to air pollution in South Africa are coal-powered and industrial plants, especially in the Northern provinces. Fossil fuels fulfil 90% of the country’s energy demand, leading to South Africa being the continent’s largest emitter of sulphur dioxide. As a major carbon dioxide emitter, the country is the 12th biggest greenhouse gas polluter in the world,” concluded the report.
WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE WORLD?
Globally, the countries with the worst air quality are:
- Bangladesh.
- Pakistan.
- India.
- Tajikistan.
- Burkina Faso.
NEXT READ: UPDATE: SASSA Older Persons grant for May 2024
Do you struggle to breathe the air in these major South African cities? Be sure to share your thoughts with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.
