Pollen levels: What South Africa’s hay fever sufferers NEED to know

Spring has arrived across South Africa, but with it comes a surge in airborne pollen that’s leaving allergy sufferers reaching for their tissues.

Allergic rhinitis, better known as hay fever, affects an estimated 20% to 30% of South Africans.

Meanwhile, asthma affects around 20% of children and 10% of adults.

Pollen, air pollution and mould can all make these conditions significantly worse.

WHY POLLEN LEVELS SHIFT SO DRAMATICALLY THROUGH THE YEAR

South Africa’s allergy season follows a fairly predictable pattern, although the exact timing shifts every year depending on rainfall, wind, temperature and humidity. 

Tree pollen typically peaks first, from August into early spring, with cypress, oak, plane, acacia and olive among the biggest culprits.

Grass pollen, by far the most significant allergen across South Africa, usually surges from September through to February, sometimes lingering as late as May.

It’s driven mainly by Bermuda grass, ryegrass and kikuyu.

Weed pollen plays a far smaller role here than in Europe or North America, since ragweed, the major weed allergen elsewhere, isn’t found in South Africa.

Symptoms typically start once pollen levels exceed 30 grains per cubic metre of air.

They can climb above 500 grains per cubic metre at the peak of grass season.

A NEW MAP IS CHANGING HOW SOUTH AFRICANS TRACK THEIR TRIGGERS

According to reports this week, a newly compiled national pollen map has revealed some surprising findings. 

Bloemfontein, sitting in a grassland biome, records the highest total pollen volume of any monitored city over a full year. Its grass season lasts an average of 246 days, or roughly eight months.

Kimberley, in a savanna biome, has the highest average concentration of grass pollen specifically. It’s grass season runs 247 days annually.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the mapping detected significant levels of birch tree pollen across South Africa.

It’s a major hay fever trigger in the northern hemisphere. This is despite birch being a non-indigenous, ornamental tree here, rather than a naturally occurring species.

WHERE TO CHECK YOUR LOCAL POLLEN LEVELS

The UCT Lung Institute’s Allergy and Immunology Clinic runs SAPNET (the South African Pollen Network).

They publish weekly pollen counts through The Real Pollen Count, a useful tool for checking exactly what’s in the air near you before you head outside.

The network monitors core sites in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Gqeberha.

Additional monitoring takes place in towns including Potchefstroom, George and Upington.

Their risk scale runs from Very Low, where no action is needed, through Low and Moderate. At High, over 90% of sufferers will experience symptoms, with asthmatics advised to limit outdoor activity entirely.

At Very High, outdoor activity should be avoided altogether.

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR SYMPTOMS THIS SEASON

A few practical steps can help.

Keep windows and doors closed on high-pollen days, particularly in the morning when levels tend to peak. Avoid drying bedding outdoors when counts are high.

Checking pollencount.co.za lets you plan around the worst days specifically, rather than guessing. 

Antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays work best when started around four weeks before your personal pollen season typically begins.

Waiting until symptoms are already in full swing tends to be less effective.

There’s also a broader climate link worth knowing about.

Rising global temperatures and higher CO2 levels are helping plants grow bigger and faster. This, in turn, means they’re producing even more pollen than before.

It’s part of why allergy seasons in many parts of the world, South Africa included, have felt increasingly intense in recent years.

I always find it genuinely reassuring that something as invisible as pollen can now be tracked, mapped and predicted this precisely.

Do you struggle with seasonal allergies, and have you found anything that actually helps?