South Africa Qibla Direction & Prayer Times
The qibla direction in South Africa changes from city to city. The table below lists the qibla angle (degrees from true north) and the great-circle distance to the Kaaba for 36 cities. In Johannesburg, for example, the qibla is 15° (north). Tap a city for the live compass and its prayer times.
Calculation details
These values are applied the same way on every city page in this country.
- Calculation method
- Muslim World League · Fajr 18° / Isha 17°
- Asr
- shadow ×1 (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali)
- Qibla angle
- 9° – 23° · north
- Distance to the Kaaba
- 5,163 – 6,560 km · Polokwane … Athlone
- Time zones
- Africa/Johannesburg
- Cities covered
- 36 cities · 6 with prayer times
Regions
- Gauteng (7)
- KwaZulu-Natal (2)
Cities in South Africa — qibla angle and prayer times
| City | Qibla angle | To the Kaaba | Prayer times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 14.6° north | 5,446 km | Prayer Times |
| Cape Town | 23.4° northeast | 6,558 km | Prayer Times |
| Durban | 10.4° north | 5,779 km | Prayer Times |
| Pretoria | 14.5° north | 5,393 km | Prayer Times |
| Soweto | 14.8° north | 5,458 km | Prayer Times |
| Gqeberha | 15.8° north | 6,340 km | Prayer Times |
| Soshanguve | 14.7° north | 5,366 km | — |
| Pietermaritzburg | 11.2° north | 5,764 km | — |
| Evaton | 14.8° north | 5,486 km | — |
| Benoni | 14.3° north | 5,437 km | — |
| Bloemfontein | 16.1° north | 5,806 km | — |
| Thembisa | 14.4° north | 5,419 km | — |
| East London | 13.5° north | 6,184 km | — |
| Vereeniging | 14.6° north | 5,499 km | — |
| Boksburg | 14.3° north | 5,441 km | — |
| Welkom | 15.7° north | 5,670 km | — |
| Newcastle | 12° north | 5,571 km | — |
| Krugersdorp | 14.9° north | 5,440 km | — |
| Rustenburg | 15.7° north | 5,409 km | — |
| Emalahleni | 13.2° north | 5,382 km | — |
| Diepsloot | 14.7° north | 5,418 km | — |
| Randburg | 14.7° north | 5,435 km | — |
| Roodepoort | 14.8° north | 5,446 km | — |
| Botshabelo | 15.5° north | 5,809 km | — |
| Brakpan | 14.2° north | 5,441 km | — |
| Kariega | 16.1° north | 6,323 km | — |
| Polokwane | 13.4° north | 5,163 km | — |
| Germiston | 14.4° north | 5,446 km | — |
| Richards Bay | 9.4° north | 5,645 km | — |
| Vanderbijlpark | 14.7° north | 5,506 km | — |
| Athlone | 23.3° northeast | 6,560 km | — |
| Paarl | 22.8° northeast | 6,519 km | — |
| Centurion | 14.5° north | 5,405 km | — |
| Klerksdorp | 16.1° north | 5,552 km | — |
| Somerset West | 22.9° northeast | 6,560 km | — |
| Mdantsane | 13.6° north | 6,178 km | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the qibla direction in South Africa?
There is no single angle for a whole country — the qibla depends on your coordinates. In Johannesburg, for instance, the qibla is 15° from true north. Pick your own city in the table above.
Why does my phone compass show a different number?
A phone compass points to magnetic north, while the table uses true (geographic) north. The gap between them is the magnetic declination, and every city page shows it separately.
Which method are the prayer times based on?
Each country uses its official or most widely accepted method — Umm al-Qura, Karachi, Egyptian GAS, MWL, ISNA and so on. The method in use is stated on every prayer-times page.