- Asbestos removal
- Asbestos disposal
Where to dispose of asbestos in South Africa
Asbestos waste in South Africa may only go to a landfill licensed for it: a Class A hazardous-waste landfill, or a Class B landfill the environmental authority has specifically approved. It never goes to an ordinary general-waste dump, a rubble pile or a skip. The few sites that take it are in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, so for much of the country the trip to the landfill is what moves the price.
Need asbestos removed and disposed of? Send the address on WhatsApp. The quote names the landfill and lists the disposal document as its own line.
What does the law say about disposing of asbestos?
Two sets of rules apply. The national landfill norms (GN R636 of 2013, as amended by GN 5523 of 7 November 2024) say asbestos waste may be disposed of at a Class A landfill, or at a Class B landfill only if the national or provincial environmental authority has specifically approved that site for it. Before the 2024 amendment, only Class A and hazardous-waste (H:H) sites qualified.
The Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 then cover the job itself. Regulation 21 says asbestos waste goes out in containers that prevent exposure during handling, is disposed of only on sites designated for it, and that a document is obtained from the disposal site for all the asbestos waste removed. Regulation 24 forbids storing removed asbestos for longer than three months before final disposal, or leaving it uncovered.
Can asbestos go to an ordinary dump?
No. A municipal general-waste landfill, a garden refuse site, a builder's rubble pile or a skip on the pavement is not a licensed asbestos site, and dumping it there is illegal. Removing asbestos cement is also regulated work: anything from 10 m² upwards needs a contractor registered with the Department of Employment and Labour, who arranges the transport and brings back the disposal document.
If you have broken sheets or pieces lying around, leave them where they are, keep children and pets away, and don't sweep, break or bag them yourself. When asbestos turns dangerous explains why.
Which landfills take asbestos, by province?
There is no official national list, so this one is built from licences, operator documents and government records. Sites that may lawfully take asbestos first, then the provinces where we found none.
| Province and site | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Gauteng: Holfontein, Springs (EnviroServ)Class A hazardous-waste landfill in Ekurhuleni; a Class A expansion cell was licensed in June 2026. Named as a designated asbestos site, and the one the Gauteng trade uses. | Waste licence, June 2026; Occupational Health SA, 2013 |
| Gauteng: Vlakfontein, Vaal Triangle (Averda)Class A hazardous-waste landfill. The operator said in 2021 that it is authorised to receive and dispose of asbestos. | Operator, 2021 |
| KwaZulu-Natal: Shongweni, near Hillcrest (EnviroServ)Class A landfill; a July 2025 licence audit found it compliant and it is operating. As a Class A site it may lawfully take asbestos; check acceptance with the site. More on asbestos removal in Durban. | Licence audit, July 2025 |
| KwaZulu-Natal: KwaDukuza, Stanger (Dolphin Coast Landfill Management)Class A (H:H) landfill; the operator says it can accept all types of waste, so it may lawfully take asbestos; check acceptance with the site. | Operator, 2026 |
| Eastern Cape: Aloes, Gqeberha (EnviroServ)Hazardous-waste (H:H) landfill, operating. Named as a designated asbestos site, and Mossel Bay's asbestos has been taken to a landfill in Gqeberha. More on asbestos removal in Port Elizabeth. | EnviroServ 2021; reports 2013–2022 |
| Western Cape: Vissershok, Cape Town (EnviroServ)Class A hazardous-waste landfill north of Cape Town. More on asbestos removal in Cape Town. | Operator, 2021–2026 |
| Western Cape: Vissershok landfill (City of Cape Town)The City's own site next door. The City's 2016 asbestos leaflet says it buries asbestos-containing waste there in trenches. The City’s Vissershok landfill rates for 2026/27 are on our Cape Town page. | City of Cape Town, 2016 |
| Western Cape, Garden RouteNo site in the Garden Route accepts asbestos; the nearest are in Cape Town and Gqeberha (Mossel Bay municipality, April 2026). The district’s regional landfill outside Mossel Bay was still under construction in September 2026; the district says its first cells are Class B cells, which can also take asbestos once approved. More on asbestos removal in George and the Garden Route. | Municipal report, 2026 |
| Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State, North West, Northern CapeWe found no public landfill licensed for asbestos in these provinces, and the Department of Environmental Affairs noted in 2017 that Class A landfills are not evenly spread across the country. Waste from here travels to a licensed site in another province. From the Northern Cape's west coast, Vissershok is about 700 km away. | DEA 2017; De Beers 2020 |
| Eastern Cape outside GqeberhaNo licensed asbestos landfill found in East London or the rest of the province. | — |
Sources: Holfontein waste management licence (DFFE, June 2026) via SLR Consulting; Shongweni licence audit, July 2025; Dolphin Coast Landfill Management; EnviroServ site classes, 2021; Averda on Vlakfontein, 2021; City of Cape Town asbestos leaflet; Occupational Health Southern Africa, 2013; George Herald, August 2026; DEA asbestos dialogue, 2017; Mossel Bay municipality, April 2026; De Beers asbestos disposal document, 2020. Whether a site takes a load on a given day is the operator's call, so we book it before the job.
What paperwork do you get?
For every load, the landfill issues a document for the asbestos waste it received, often called the disposal certificate. Regulation 23 makes the contractor keep it for at least 50 years, and you should keep a copy with the property papers, alongside the asbestos clearance certificate. Together they prove the waste went to a licensed site rather than being dumped in the veld.
A quote that cannot name the landfill, or doesn't list the disposal document, is missing the part that makes the job legal. See how a compliant removal works.
Why does the distance to the landfill change the price?
Asbestos cement is heavy: roof sheeting weighs roughly 15 kg per m², so a 150 m² house roof is more than two tonnes of sealed waste. Every kilometre between the property and a licensed landfill is paid for in transport.
That is why our published band of R150 to R250 per m² is Gauteng pricing, where Holfontein is close by. For a property elsewhere in South Africa, transport to the nearest licensed landfill is quoted after the site visit, as its own line; areas we cover shows the nearest site for each province. Mossel Bay municipality, for example, costed removing and replacing asbestos roofs at about R55,000 per house in April 2026, with the waste going to Cape Town or Gqeberha. The full breakdown is on asbestos roof removal cost.
Questions people ask
Where can I dump asbestos near me?
Only at a landfill licensed for asbestos: a Class A landfill, or a Class B landfill specifically approved for it. In Gauteng that is usually Holfontein near Springs; the other sites that may take it are in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. Don’t wrap, load or transport asbestos yourself: removing asbestos cement from 10 m² upwards is work for a registered contractor, who takes it to the landfill and gets the disposal document.
Is there an asbestos landfill in Mpumalanga, Limpopo or the Free State?
We found no public landfill licensed for asbestos in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Free State, North West or the Northern Cape. Asbestos from there is taken to a licensed site in another province, which is why transport is priced separately.
How long can removed asbestos be stored before disposal?
No longer than three months after the removal work is finished, and never uncovered or where it can contaminate soil or water (regulation 24 of the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020).
What document proves asbestos was disposed of properly?
A document from the disposal site for all the asbestos waste, required by regulation 21. Keep it with the clearance certificate.
In South Africa asbestos waste may only go to a Class A landfill, or a Class B landfill specifically approved for it (GN R636 of 2013 as amended on 7 November 2024). Sites that may lawfully take it include Holfontein and Vlakfontein in Gauteng, Shongweni and KwaDukuza in KwaZulu-Natal, Aloes in Gqeberha and Vissershok in Cape Town; we found none in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Free State, North West or the Northern Cape. Every load comes with a document from the disposal site, and removed asbestos may not be stored for more than three months.
Get a compliant quote
Send the address on WhatsApp, or see your roof from above and get a quote on screen. The final price is confirmed on a site visit.