Jozi stench reignites air quality concerns

Various Johannesburg residents have been complaining on social media about a persistent, foul smell in parts of the city since the weekend.
These complaints have ignited concerns about the city’s air quality, which experiences high levels of pollutants such as particulate matter dust (PM2.5 and PM10), which have been linked to 16 000 annual deaths in Gauteng, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

There’s a smog over the @CityofJoburgZA city, which can be seen clearly from the Randburg/Sandton direction. And in the city a smell of sulphur is hanging over the air. What is going on? Please?
— SikonathiMantshantsh (@SikonathiM) March 11, 2026

The latest data from air quality sensors operated by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, shows that the City of Johannesburg has had unhealthy amounts of the PM2.5 pollutant in the last few years. For example, data from a sensor in Jabavu in Soweto, set up since September 2018, shows average daily PM2.5 levels reaching over 300 µg/m3, much higher than the 75 µg/m3 concentration limit per day recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in their 2021 guidelines.

Regarding the ongoing “rotten egg” smell plaguing the city, the City of Johannesburg confirmed in January that the stench was caused by dirty air originating from long distances from the Highveld Priority Area and industrial complexes in the Mpumalanga Province, where there are power stations and petrochemical operations. “Over the past five years, the City has observed similar sulphur-related odour episodes occurring intermittently, particularly between January and March, when atmospheric conditions favour long-range pollutant transport,” the city said in their statement.
The city warned residents to remain indoors during periods of strong, sulphur-like odours and to “avoid strenuous outdoor activities.”
www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/jozi-stench-reignites-air-quality-concerns/