Live earthquake tracker · Cape Town, South Africa
Earthquakes near Cape Town today
Every earthquake reported by USGS and EMSC within 300 km of Cape Town: today’s answer, the latest quakes on a live map, the last notable one and local history back to 1700.
Was there an earthquake near Cape Town today?
No. USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 300 km of Cape Town in the past 24 hours. There has been no M4.0+ within 300 km in the past 12 months.
Past 24 hours
0
Past 7 days
0
Past 30 days
0
Strongest · 30 days
—
M2.5+ within 300 km · USGS, refreshed every 5 minutes
Map & list
Latest earthquakes near Cape Town
0 earthquakes · M2.5+ · 30 days · within 300 km
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Seismic profile
How active is the area around Cape Town?
Activity level
Very low
0 M4.0+ earthquakes within 300 km in 2016–2025 — about 0.0 a year. More than 0% of the 560 cities QuakeScout tracks.
Nearest plate boundary
985 km
Cape Town is far from the boundary between the Somali and African plates. Most large earthquakes happen along plate boundaries, but active faults can exist far from them.
Strongest in ten years
No M4.0+ earthquake within 300 km in this period.
0 in total · average 0.0 a year (dashed line)
- M4.0–4.9
- M5.0–5.9
- M6.0+
By magnitude
- M4.0–4.9
- 0
- M5.0–5.9
- 0
- M6.0–6.9
- 0
- M7.0+
- 0
No M4.0+ earthquakes were recorded within 300 km in this period.
Method: USGS catalog, M4.0+ within 300 km, complete years 2016–2025. Plate boundaries: PB2002 (Bird, 2003). This is context, not a risk rating or prediction.
History · NOAA
Deadliest and most damaging earthquakes near Cape Town
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 3 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of Cape Town since 1700, which together caused about 12 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1969M6.3
Cape Province
29 Sep 1969 · 115 km away · intensity IX
12 deaths$24 million damage
- 1969M5.8
Tulbagh
5 Oct 1969 · 142 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1809
Cape Of Good Hope
4 Dec 1809 · 6 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.
Nearby trackers
Earthquakes near other cities
Questions
About earthquakes near Cape Town
Outside the United States this page combines the USGS global catalog with EMSC, which includes smaller events reported by national seismic networks. The default view covers M2.5+ events within 300 km. Magnitude measures the energy at the source; how strongly it is felt also depends on depth, distance and local ground.
Was there an earthquake near Cape Town today?
Not in the past 24 hours: USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 300 km of Cape Town. The page refreshes every five minutes.
How often are there earthquakes near Cape Town?
USGS recorded 0 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or more within 300 km of Cape Town between 2016 and 2025, about 0.0 a year. That puts it above 0% of the cities QuakeScout tracks.
Is Cape Town near a tectonic plate boundary?
The nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Somali and African plates, is about 985 km from the city centre. Earthquakes also happen on faults inside plates, so distance alone does not measure risk.
Why might a small earthquake felt in Cape Town be missing?
The USGS global catalog focuses on moderate and larger earthquakes outside the United States. National agencies usually publish smaller local events first; the link on this page points to the relevant one.
Can QuakeScout warn me before an earthquake?
No. Earthquakes cannot be predicted, and QuakeScout is an information service, not an alert system. Follow official warnings and local authorities.