A 5.0-magnitude earthquake on Sunday struck near Johannesburg, shaking buildings across South Africa's most populous province, the Unites States Geological Survey reported.

The tremor struck at 2:38 am (0038 GMT) around 10 kilometres (six miles) below the surface, the USGS said.

Buildings shook across the province of Gauteng, where Johannesburg, the country's largest city and commercial hub, is located.

Residents across the province felt the tremor and some posted pictures on social media showing minor structural damages of walls.

In August 2014, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit a gold mining town near Johannesburg.

The last major quake to hit South Africa was a 6.3-magnitude tremor that struck the Western Cape province in 1969.