Stay prepared this spring with The Real Pollen Count. Follow along for the weekly pollen updates for cities nationwide.
South Africa (05 September 2025) – Spring in South Africa is a season of colour and new life, but for millions of people, it also arrives with the familiar tickle of hay fever or the heavy breath of asthma. Around one in three South Africans suffer from hay fever, and one in five are affected by asthma, numbers that remind us just how important it is to know what’s in the air we’re breathing.
Because South Africa is home to such a wide variety of plants, from fynbos and grasslands to the imported trees that shade our cities, our air often carries pollen and fungal spores. These tiny, invisible particles, known as aerospora, may look harmless, but they can cause big discomfort for those living with allergies or respiratory conditions.
That’s where the South African Pollen Monitoring Network (SAPNET) steps in. Launched in 2019 and coordinated by the University of Cape Town Lung Institute, SAPNET has become the country’s watchful eye on the air. Across cities and towns, specialised air-sampling machines run every week, quietly pulling in air, catching the microscopic pollen and spores, and sending that information to teams of researchers, from botanists to allergy specialists, who identify and track it.
The result is The Real Pollen Count: a website and weekly update that has become a lifeline for allergy sufferers
across the country. By checking the count, people can prepare for flare-ups, doctors can tailor treatments, and scientists can better understand seasonal patterns.
The Real Pollen Count monitors cities including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Durban, Pretoria, Gqeberha, Kimberley, George and Potchefstroom. The site also shares practical information, like South Africa’s most allergenic plants, so you can learn what might be behind your symptoms, from grasses and weeds to tree pollens and mould spores.
Since its launch, the site has made a real difference in how South Africans manage their allergies. You can even sign up for a weekly email alert tailored to your city.
So as the flowers bloom and the days grow longer, take a moment to check The Real Pollen Count this spring. It’s a simple habit that can make the season a little brighter and a lot easier to breathe.
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