- One-third (34%) of South Africans say that flooding has become more severe in their area over the past 10 years. About one-fifth (21%) report worsening droughts, and one-fourth (25%) say crop failure has increased. o Increasingly severe floods, droughts, and crop failure are most commonly reported in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
- In substantial numbers, South Africans report having to adjust their lives in response to changing weather patterns, including using less water or changing water sources (37%), reducing or rescheduling outdoor work (30%), reducing their livestock holdings or changing grazing patterns (12% of those who have livestock), changing the types of crops they plant or the foods they eat (11%), and moving to a different place (11%). o Majorities of residents of North West and KwaZulu-Natal provinces say they have reduced their water use or changed water sources.
- About six in 10 South Africans (61%) say they have heard of climate change, up from 41% in 2018.
- Among those who have heard of climate change: o Eight in 10 (79%) say it is making life in South Africa worse, up from 53% in 2018. o Seven in 10 blame climate change on human activity (53%) or a combination of human activity and natural processes (16%). o Fully two-thirds (66%) of citizens say the government must take immediate action to limit climate change, “even if it is expensive or causes some job losses or other harm to our economy.” An even greater proportion (82%) call for rich countries to provide climate aid to South Africa to adapt and respond to the impacts of climate change.
- Among all respondents, majorities express support for putting pressure on rich or developed countries to provide resources to help South Africans affected by changes in weather conditions (76%), investing in infrastructure to increase resilience to floods and droughts (76%), and investing in wind and solar technologies, even if it increases the price of electricity (62%).
At least 103 people died in the largely rural Eastern Cape province of South Africa, including 32 school-aged children, in catastrophic floods during the second week of June. The floods primarily hit the town of Mthatha and its surrounds when heavy rains caused a river to burst its banks and severely damaged critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges (Koko, 2025; PBS News, 2025).
In the same week in neighbouring KwaZulu-Natal province, where destructive climatic events have become commonplace, severe storms destroyed more than 140 homes in the rural community of Impendle and damaged 138 schools in 12 districts (Nxumalo, 2025). In the city of eThekwini, two lives were lost and 17 government facilities were damaged, including clinics (Manjeya, 2025).
South Africa is no stranger to the harms of climate change. As floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires occur with increasing frequency and intensity, South Africans face the threats of greater food and water insecurity, poor health outcomes, reduced incomes, increased challenges with the provision of basic services, and a higher cost of living due to the effects that climate change has on agriculture, nature, infrastructure, and tourism (Institute for Security Studies, 2021; Johnston, Egbebiyi, Zvobgo, Omar, Cartwright, & Hewitson, 2024).
The government’s 2019 National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and 2024 Climate Change Act target an effective climate response as a national sustainable development priority (Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, 2019, 2025a). In line with the new law’s call for sector adaptation strategies and plans, Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister Dion George recently unveiled the country’s first Climate Change Adaptation Response Plan for South Africa’s Coastal Sector, which aims to protect the nation’s coastal assets from destruction (Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, 2025b; Bega, 2025).
Ahead of the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (known as COP30) in Brazil (10-21 November), this dispatch reports on a special Afrobarometer survey module that explores South Africans’ experiences, awareness, and attitudes related to climate change.
Findings show that some citizens report worsening floods, droughts, and crop failure in their region, especially in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The proportion of South Africans who have heard of climate change has increased sharply since 2018, as has the share who say climate change is making life worse. Among citizens who are aware of climate change, majorities blame it on human activity and call for urgent action by their government and developed countries to limit its effects.
In significant numbers, South Africans report taking steps to adapt to changing weather patterns, including changes in water use, outdoor work habits, and livestock management. Importantly, majorities express support for increased pressure on rich or developed countries to provide resources to help South Africans affected by changes in weather conditions, government investment in weather-resilient infrastructure, and funding for wind and solar energy.
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