SACAQM Featured by APT News

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 Witwatersrand have responded with the launch of AI_r, a first-of-its-kind AI-powered air quality monitoring system. Using sensors deployed across multiple locations across Johannesburg, the platform tracks pollution levels in real time, identifies hotspots such as Kya Sands, and provides predictive warnings to residents ahead of dangerous air quality events.

This innovation comes in the wake of recent pollution incidents, including the March 2026 hydrogen sulphide event that spread a strong “rotten egg” smell across Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, further underscoring the urgent need for accessible, real-time environmental data and accountability.

Dominique Adams commented:

“In Johannesburg, the situation is becoming increasingly concerning, with pollution coming from not only mining and industry but urban activity too.

What we’ve developed through SACAQM is a system that gives people real-time access to what they are actually breathing. It’s about empowering communities with data so they can make informed decisions, whether it’s limiting outdoor exposure or taking protective measures. At the same time, it creates a foundation for more responsive policy-making and evidence-based urban planning.

🎥 Watch the vedio: https://youtu.be/_JfpJZy5PbY?si=K5GXLUxhm8WtRNBV