The United States Geological Survey said that on Sunday, a 5.0-magnitude earthquake near Johannesburg shook structures throughout the country's most populous province.
The tremor occurred at 2:38 am (0:38 GMT) and was centred around 10 kilometres (six miles) underground, according to the USGS.
The Gauteng province, home to Johannesburg, the greatest city and commercial centre of the nation, experienced shaking in the buildings.
Locals felt the tremor all around the province, and several shared photos on social media of minor structural wall damage.
A gold mining community close to Johannesburg was struck by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake in August 2014.
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake that shook the Western Cape province in 1969 was the last significant earthquake to affect South Africa.