Residents in parts of Midrand and Ekurhuleni, located in Gauteng, reported feeling a tremor on Tuesday evening, 20 May 2025.
Moderate tremor felt in Midrand and Ekurhuleni
The shaking was felt just after 19:20 and has raised questions about whether it was caused by an earthquake.
At this stage, the Council for Geosciences — South Africa’s official body for monitoring earth movements — has not yet confirmed the magnitude or the exact cause of the tremor.
This means that while people felt the ground shake, it has not yet been officially labelled as an earthquake.
Emergency services in Ekurhuleni have confirmed that they have not received any reports of damage to property or injuries.
“We haven’t yet received any complaints from the residents as far as the damages and magnitude or any impacts are concerned,” said Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesperson William Ntladi.
He added that emergency teams are fully prepared in case help is needed.
“We are on high alert should there be any challenges or problems that we are going to receive. We will be able to respond and assist with emergency rescue services to those affected,” Ntladi explained.
International tracking website VolcanoDiscovery.com, which monitors earthquake activity around the world, noted a possible earthquake near Johannesburg on Tuesday evening. According to their data, the tremor occurred at approximately 19:23 SAST. The reported depth was about 10 kilometres below the surface — a typical depth for smaller quakes.
Although the magnitude is still unconfirmed by official South African sources, the website lists 163 reports from people who felt the tremor.
Based on these reports, the shaking is estimated to be at a magnitude of around 3.0, which is considered weak.
The intensity level near the centre of the tremor was marked as Level III on the intensity scale, which usually means light shaking that is felt indoors but doesn’t cause damage.
People in affected areas, including Midrand and parts of Ekurhuleni, described the sensation as a brief but noticeable vibration — enough to cause concern but not severe enough to damage structures.