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Dr. Chaitali Sinha of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) , and Prof. Jude Kong of the University of Toronto recently showcased the AI_r technology of the South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring at a public event in Ottawa attended by the Secretary of State for International Development, the Honorable Randeep Sarai. The demonstration highlighted how AI_r is helping address one of Africa’s most urgent public health challenges: poor air quality. Thro

SACAQM has been featured in Taiwanese media for its role in helping residents of Johannesburg respond to severe air pollution caused by mining and industrial activities. The report highlights how Johannesburg frequently experiences strong hydrogen sulfide pollution, often recognized by its “rotten egg” smell. This toxic gas mainly comes from coal mining and industrial emissions from regions located up to 400 kilometers east of the city. The pollution has led to several healt

SACAQM is featured by French National Radio, RFI, in a recent French-language report highlighting South Africa’s growing air pollution crisis and the urgent need for real-time public awareness tools. The article, titled “South Africa: an application to measure air quality and protect against fine particles,” emphasizes that exposure to fine particulate matter caused approximately 42,000 deaths in 2023, according to Greenpeace. In response to this worsening situation, research

In a recent feature by APT News, a Youtube channel providing international news coverage, titled “Coal Pollution Chokes Johannesburg as Scientists Launch Air Quality Warning App,” the growing severity of air pollution across Gauteng was brought into sharp focus. Johannesburg continues to face a worsening coal-driven pollution crisis, exacerbated by industrial activity, illegal dump fires, and urban emissions. The report highlights how researchers at University of the Witwater

The SACAQM AI-powered air quality monitoring system has been featured by WION (World Is One News), an Indian English-language global news channel headquartered in Noida, highlighting its growing international visibility. The coverage comes as Johannesburg faces a significant rise in coal-related emissions and deteriorating air quality. In response, South African scientists have developed the country’s first mobile application designed to warn residents about dangerous polluti

The South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring (SACAQM) has been featured by the New York-based platform ESG News, highlighting its growing global recognition in the field of AI-driven environmental monitoring. ESG News is a private media and intelligence platform focused on sustainability, ESG investing, sustainable finance, policy, and corporate responsibility, headquartered in New York, US. The coverage emphasizes SACAQM’s innovative approach to tackling air pollut

SACAQM has been featured by TechCentral, highlighting its innovative AI-powered application designed to warn residents about sudden air pollution spikes across South Africa. The TechCentral coverage emphasizes how the SACAQM platform can detect rising pollution events and notify users instantly, helping communities take preventive measures during hazardous air quality episodes. It also highlights the broader impact of the system in supporting environmental monitoring and rais

The SACAQM AI-powered air quality monitoring system, developed by researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand, has been featured by Reuters, with the coverage also translated into Spanish, French, Italian, and German, expanding its international reach and visibility. The coverage comes amid recent spikes in coal-related emissions across Johannesburg, where residents have reported respiratory issues linked to poor air quality. In response, scientists have introduced a n

The AI-driven air quality monitoring system developed by the South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring at University of the Witwatersrand was recently highlighted in a radio interview on Radio 786, showcasing its impact on environmental monitoring in Johannesburg. During the interview, SACAQM explained how the system combines cost effective sensors with artificial intelligence to collect and analyze air quality data in real time, addressing the challenge of transform

The SACAQM AI-powered air quality monitoring system has been featured by the Spanish-language media outlet Noticias de la Tierra , highlighting its innovative role in advancing air quality monitoring in Johannesburg. The coverage presents the AI_r system, developed by the University of the Witwatersrand with international collaborators, as a cost-effective solution combining artificial intelligence with sensor networks for real-time monitoring and forecasting. The article als

The AI-driven air quality monitoring system AI_r, developed by the South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring at University of the Witwatersrand, has been featured by Chinese-language media, showcasing its role in advancing global environmental monitoring technologies. The article, published by the Chinese science outlet Science and Technology Daily , highlights how artificial intelligence is transforming air quality monitoring worldwide. Within this context, the AI_r

In the article “Seeing the air that you breathe,” the AI-powered air quality monitoring system AI_r is highlighted as an innovative solution transforming how air pollution is monitored in Johannesburg. The feature showcases how over 500 sensors are deployed across the city to collect real-time data and generate AI-driven forecasts, enabling better understanding of pollution risks and supporting public health decisions. By combining artificial intelligence with scalable sens

The AI-powered air quality monitoring system AI_r , developed by the SACAQM team at Wits University, has been highlighted by Phys.Org , one of the world’s leading science news platforms. The coverage showcases how the system leverages over 500 sensors deployed across Johannesburg to collect real-time air quality data and generate AI-driven forecasts. By combining advanced data analytics with scalable sensor networks, AI_r enables early detection of pollution risks and support

A new research paper has been published titled: “Transfer Learning from Wi-Fi Access Point Data to Air Quality Monitoring: A Spatial-Temporal Graph-Based Approach.” The study presents a novel framework that applies transfer learning to air quality monitoring by leveraging knowledge from Wi-Fi access point data. Using a combination of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and temporal models, the approach captures complex spatial-temporal patterns and transfers learned representations

The innovative AI_r air quality monitoring system, developed by sacaqm, has been featured by the Spanish-language international media outlet Infobae (Argentina), highlighting its impact on urban environmental management. The article emphasizes how the system leverages over 500 air quality sensors deployed across Johannesburg to collect real-time data and generate predictive insights on pollution levels. Powered by artificial intelligence, AI_r enables early detection of poll

SACAQM has announced that public institutions, NGOs and private organisations can now join its programme by hosting AI_r sensors. The AI_r sensors measure key air quality and environmental parameters, including PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4.0, PM10.0, VOCs, NOx, CO₂, temperature, and humidity. Data collected through the network will be made publicly available via an online dashboard, supporting transparent and data-driven environmental monitoring. The sensors are provided free of charge

The National Research Foundation recently featured SACAQM in response to growing air pollution concerns in Johannesburg. Residents reported a strong sulphur-like odour, often compared to “rotten eggs,” accompanied by symptoms such as headaches, chest tightness, fatigue, and respiratory discomfort. The incident has renewed public concern over recurring air quality issues in the city. Speaking on Power FM, SACAQM provided expert insight into the possible causes of the pollution

SACAQM was interviewed on national radio, addressing growing concerns over deteriorating air quality in Johannesburg. Residents reported a strong sulfur-like odor across the city, accompanied by symptoms such as headaches and respiratory discomfort. Monitoring data confirmed spikes in airborne pollutants in several areas. SACAQM explained that these pollution events occur in moving “spikes,” driven by multiple sources including traffic, industry, and long-range transported em

Scientists of SACAQM publish two papers in international journals Researchers affiliated with SACAQM initiative have recently published two peer-reviewed papers in international journals, reflecting the consortium’s active contribution to air-quality research. The first publication is a review paper titled "Machine learning for air quality prediction and data analysis: Review on recent advancements, challenges, and outlooks", providing a comprehensive overview of recent advan

SACAQM was recently featured in Nature Africa for its AI-enabled air-quality monitoring network in Johannesburg, highlighting how dense, low-cost sensor deployments are transforming pollution monitoring across African cities. The feature describes how SACAQM’s network captures rapid pollution fluctuations at neighbourhood scale, revealing short-lived PM₂.₅ hotspots that emerge and dissipate within one to two hours. These patterns, driven by traffic peaks, illegal burning, and

The AI_r air-quality monitoring systems have been deployed across selected locations in the Merafong City Municipality to strengthen local air-quality surveillance. The deployment involved the installation of cost-effective, fixed monitoring units designed for continuous operation in urban and community environments.

SACAQM team hosted Prof. Han Fang and Prof. Christopher Hassall from the University of Leeds during their visit to Johannesburg. Both researchers are active in environmental and data-driven science, and their visit took place within the framework of an award granted by the Horizons Institute. During their time on site, they visited the lab, explored ongoing AI_R developments, and collaborated with the team during the Horizons Workshop—deepening our partnership and reaffirming

SACAQM has been featured by the Horizons Institute at the University of Leeds for its pioneering work in community-driven environmental science and artificial intelligence. The article highlights SYNERGIA — a new concept initiated jointly by SACAQM and colleagues from the University of Leeds — which aims to develop Sustainable sYstems for ENvironmental and hEalth Resilience using Global Integrated Analytics. SYNERGIA bridges local communities, scientists, and engineers across

SACAQM has been awarded the inaugural Prize for Innovation by the University of the Witwatersrand. The prestigious award, conferred by the President of the University, recognizes SACAQM’s pioneering work in developing AI-powered, low-cost air quality monitoring systems that provide real-time insights to improve environmental health and sustainability across South Africa. This milestone highlights SACAQM’s commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence and local innovation t