Was South Africa hit by an earthquake? Here’s what the data shows

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake recorded south of Africa has sparked confusion on social media after a widely shared post suggested that the tremor occurred just 500km from South Africa.

However, earthquake monitoring data shows that the event was significantly farther offshore.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 20:54 UTC on Sunday, 20 September 2026, at a depth of approximately 10km.

The USGS recorded the epicentre at 48.428°S and 31.235°E, in the region classified as south of Africa.

Independent data from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) placed the earthquake about 1 681km south-southeast of Gqeberha and around 1 942km southeast of Cape Town.

That means the earthquake was nowhere near the 500km distance claimed in the viral social media post.

Earthquake was offshore

The earthquake occurred well south of the African mainland and was not an earthquake that struck South African territory.

The USGS classified the event as magnitude 5.7, while other monitoring agencies recorded slightly different measurements as seismic data was processed.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), for example, independently recorded the event at a slightly different magnitude and location, highlighting the variations that can occur between seismic monitoring agencies.

The USGS reviewed its preferred origin using data from 64 stations and placed the earthquake at a depth of 10km.

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