Survey: These towns in South Africa have the best air quality!

Swiss air quality technology company IQAir has released the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report, which reveals details of the world’s most polluted countries, territories, and regions in 2023. For this year’s report, data from more than 30,000 air quality monitoring stations across 7,812 locations in 134 countries, territories, and regions was analyzed by the company’s air quality scientists. According to the Report, Nieuwoudtville in the Namakwa District Municipality in the Northern Cape is not only the city with the cleanest air (PM2.5* concentration 2.1µg/m³) in South Africa, but also on the African continent. The town of Botrivier/Bot River (2.8µg/m³), situated in the Overberg Region of the Western Cape, comes in second followed by Lichtenburg (5.1µg/m³)in the North West Province and Cape Town (5.9µg/m³) in the Western Cape.
On the downside, two cities in South Africa are the most polluted regional cities on the African continent. Benoni (54.9 µg/m³) in Gauteng is Africa's and South Africa's city with the worst air quality, followed by Bloemfontein (49.4 µg/m³) in the Free State.

The air quality in South Africa as a whole has improved significantly from 2022. The country’s annual average PM2.5 concentration showed a 14.8% decrease going from 23.4µg/m³ in 2022 to 19.9µg/m³ in 2023. The towns of Nieuwoudtville and Botrivier/Bot River met the World Health Organisation (WHO) annual PM2.5 guideline of having an annual average PM2.5 concentration at or below 5µg/m³.Cape Town met these requirements for four months but reported an annual average concentration of 5.9µg/m³ for the entire year.

Please note: Only 24 out of 54 countries in Africa had sufficient data available to be included in the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report, leaving 30 countries unaccounted for.

* The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for PM2.5 concentrations is five micrograms per cubic meter or 5 µg/m³ annually.

 

Western Cape: Section of the R43 in the Overberg fully closed until September 2024!

The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has announced that a three kilometres section of the R43 from the Kleinmond interchange on the N2 (Exit 90 to Kleinmond and Hermanus) will be closed for at least six month (September 2024). This is due to  road safety improvement which involves a full upgrade and reconstruction of layerworks, as well as widening the road to 3.7m wide lanes, with 2.4m wide shoulders in both directions. All traffic will be rerouted via the Botrivier interchange on the N2 (Exit 92) that is approximately two kilometres from the road closure.

Western Cape: Stony Point Nature Reserve is currently closed for scheduled maintenance! [update]

update (30 August 2019): According to the official Overstrand Municipality twitter account, the Stony Point Penguin Colony has re-opened after repairs to the boardwalk.

CapeNature, the public institution with the statutory responsibility for biodiversity conservation in South Africa's Western Cape, just announced that the Stony Point Nature Reserve is currently closed until further notice for scheduled maintenance and repairs to the famous boardwalk. The Nature Reserve offers visitors the chance to see African Penguins up close, via the boardwalk through the colony, which allows visitors to observe these flightless birds go about their daily activities in their natural habitat, without disturbing or disrupting them.
Stony Point Nature Reserve is located in the coastal town of Betty's Bay in the Overberg about 70 - 90 minutes by car from Cape Town.

Infographic: Stanford, South Africa's favourite village

Have you ever heard of Stanford, a historic village located just 30minutes from the sea-side town of Hermanus and only about 01:45hrs from Cape Town? If not, have a read through the infographic below a get to learn more about this scenic little village in the Overberg, which has the world's shortest river running through it and is home to the first beer AND wine producing estate in the Southern Hemisphere.


This infographic was created by Xplorio for the Stanford community.

Video: The new Perlemoen Green Flag slackpacking trail

The recently opened Perlemoen Green Flag slackpacking trail, centred around Gansbaai in the Overberg, is one of South Africa's hiking trail gems.
The trail consists of three days’ hiking (with alternative shorter as well as self-catering options) and provides fascinating insight into the area – famous for its shipwrecks and infamous for its Perlemoen (abalone) poaching! It is a trail for whale watchers, fynbos lovers and cultural enthusiasts with wide open beaches, intimate coves for swimming, sea cliffs with pounding waves and limestone caves.
On Day 1 the Perlemoen Green Flag slackpacking trail hugs the coast from De Dam to Buffelsjag (15km) with the option of walking to Pearly Beach (another 7 km). On Day 2 the trail follows the beach to Franskraal (12 km) and Day 3 runs from Gansbaai, along the rocky coast, with its caves and excellent whale watching, to Die Plaat (8km).
Watch the video, provided by South Africa's outdoor mag "Weg!"/"Go!" (Afrikanns/English), for some great footage of the trail and the area!



Pls check the trail's website for detailed itineraries as well as the price structure.