Cape Town has unveiled a R39.7 billion three-year infrastructure plan, the largest of any South African metro, aimed at creating over 130,000 construction-related jobs and directly benefiting lower-income households.
The city will invest R16.5 billion in water and sanitation, R5 billion in electricity upgrades, R3.4 billion in roads, and R4.5 billion in expanding the MyCiTi bus network to link Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Wynberg, and Claremont.
As part of its biggest single-year safety spend, over 700 new municipal police officers will be deployed across all wards.
“This budget contains Cape Town’s planned infrastructure investment over three years which – at R39,7bn – is more than the three Gauteng metros combined, and will create over 130 000 construction-related jobs. Crucially, a full 75% of this investment directly benefits lower income households.
“Every budget is a balancing act, and for us this is between our bold plans to build the Cape Town of the future, and the need to shield our most vulnerable residents from the enormous financial pressures that make their daily lives very hard. We have called this the “Invested in Hope” Budget because now – with this fourth budget of our term – we are fully invested in building a city of hope for all, as we approach these final two years of this term,” said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
To ease pressure on lower-income residents, the city will limit electricity price hikes to just 2%, compared to Eskom’s 11.32% increase, and restructure water and sanitation tariffs based on property value, not connection size.
Cape Town’s property rates will also remain the lowest among all metros, while new cleaning tariffs will be introduced on bills—offset by reductions in electricity cross-subsidies.
Mayor Hill-Lewis says the budget is fully geared towards building a more hopeful, inclusive city while protecting its most vulnerable communities.
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