A cold front gripping much of South Africa is leaving some Johannesburg residents battling to keep warm. With temperatures in the province dropping to 3°C, some residents are resorting to braziers to warm themselves.
The freezing conditions follow snowfall in parts of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
Authorities are urging residents across affected areas to exercise extreme caution as the icy conditions persist. Local resident Albert Mudzanani weighs in on how he is keeping himself warm in this extreme cold.
“We are trying to keep warm by setting up a brazier, we put in woods inside of the tin as you can see, it’s much better that fire keeps us warm. When you stay in a shack its much colder inside. So, that’s why we’re avoiding being indoors, the shacks are very cold.”
VIDEO | Cold and rainy conditions hit Gauteng:
Government has urged the public to remain vigilant and exercise extreme caution as severe weather conditions affect several parts of the country.
“Members of the public are reminded that weather and road conditions can change rapidly. Roads that are currently open may subsequently be closed if conditions deteriorate, while previously closed routes may be reopened once they have been assessed and cleared up by the relevant authorities. The public is urged to rely on official updates from the South African Weather Service, provincial traffic authorities, road agencies, disaster management structures and emergency services for the latest information,” says deputy government spokesperson William Baloyi.
Weather forecast for today, 11 Aug 2026:
Partly cloudy in the west, otherwise cloudy, windy and cold to very cold with 30-60% showers and rain over the central and eastern parts but 80% in places in the east. Snowfall is still expected in mountainous area.#saws #Warning #winter pic.twitter.com/3z3lDQO0oJ— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) August 11, 2026
-Report by Thato Letsaba
