When you think of volcanoes, South Africa probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind.
Image for illustrative purposes / Gary Saldana / Unsplash
We picture molten lava spilling down Hawaiian cliffs or ash clouds rising above Iceland, not safari drives or the Karoo’s open plains. Yet beneath South Africa’s calm exterior lies a fiery story written over billions of years.
While there are no active volcanoes on the mainland, the country’s territory does include one living, breathing giant on a faraway island. The rest? Long dead, but still leaving behind dramatic landscapes and geological marvels.
Here’s a look at South Africa’s active, dormant, and extinct volcanoes and why they’re worth knowing about.
Mascarin Peak, Marion Island
South Africa’s sole active volcano sits far from the mainland, in the icy waters of the southern Indian Ocean. Welcome to Marion Island, part of the Prince Edward Islands, about 1 920 km southeast of Cape Town.
At its centre rises Mascarin Peak, a massive shield volcano that has erupted several times in the last 10,000 years—the most recent in 2004. If you were standing on the island back then, you might have seen glowing lava flows snaking across black volcanic rock.
Today, Marion Island is home to seabirds, seals, and a small South African research base. Few tourists ever get there, but it holds the title of South Africa’s only currently active volcano.
Did you know? Marion Island is nicknamed the “fire and ice island” because it combines sub-Antarctic cold with hot, molten geology.
Pilanesberg – The Billion-Year-Old Extinct Supervolcano
In the North West Province, you’ll find a ring of mountains enclosing Pilanesberg National Park. While visitors come for elephants, lions, and rhinos, the park itself sits inside the eroded remains of a once giant volcano.
About 1.2 billion years ago, the Pilanesberg volcano may have stood taller than Mount Everest. Over time, it collapsed and eroded, leaving behind the circular ridges you see today.
Did you know? Pilanesberg is so geologically unique that geologists call it an “alkaline ring complex” and there are only a handful like it in the world.
Status: Extinct. Pilanesberg’s magma chamber cooled long ago, but its legacy is written into the landscape.
Salpeterkop, Northern Cape
Near the stargazing town of Sutherland, in the Northern Cape, lies Salpeterkop, an extinct volcano that erupted around 66 million years ago—the same time the dinosaurs disappeared.
Unlike Pilanesberg, which has been eroded almost flat, Salpeterkop still resembles a volcanic cone. You can see tuff rings, crater-like structures, and hardened lava flows. For geology enthusiasts, it’s one of the clearest windows into South Africa’s fiery past.
Did you know? Locals sometimes call it “South Africa’s sleeping volcano”—but don’t worry, it’s completely extinct.
Dormant volcanoes
South Africa has no dormant volcanoes. Unlike Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Fuji, which could erupt again, South Africa’s mainland volcanoes are simply too ancient. Their underground systems cooled millions to billions of years ago, making them permanently extinct.
The only volcano that could fit the “dormant” label is Marion Island, which cycles through periods of activity and rest. But since it erupted just two decades ago, scientists classify it as active rather than dormant.
Landscapes forged by fire
Even without fiery eruptions today, South Africa’s volcanic past is everywhere if you know where to look.
- The Drakensberg Mountains are partly formed from enormous lava flows laid down 180 million years ago when Gondwana began to split apart.
- Vast areas of the Karoo are covered in ancient volcanic rock known as the Karoo basalts.
- Fertile soils in many regions owe their richness to weathered volcanic deposits.
Did you know? If you’ve ever admired the Drakensberg’s dramatic cliffs, you’ve been looking at ancient lava frozen in time.
So next time you go on safari in Pilanesberg or stargaze near Sutherland, remember: you’re walking on the bones of ancient volcanoes, long dead but still shaping the land beneath your feet.
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
ALSO READ: 4 unforgettable immersive experiences to try
