Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in South Africa
South Africa: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 4.08 million hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in South Africa, 2002–2024
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in South Africa is 4.08 million hectares, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.1% on the previous year and up 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in South Africa peaked at 5.24 million hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.36 million hectares, in 2016.
That places South Africa 8th out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.69 million hectares | 2.80 million hectares | 4.75 million hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 3.02 million hectares | 1.36 million hectares | 4.13 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.93 million hectares | 2.63 million hectares | 5.24 million hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in South Africa?
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in South Africa was 4.08 million hectares in 2024, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.24 million hectares in 2023.
- What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.36 million hectares in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- South Africa ranks 8th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Area burned by wildfires by land cover type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Area of shrubland and grassland burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes open and closed shrublands and grasslands without a significant tree cover.