The City of Cape Town's budget reflects its key policy decisions and priorities, determines rates increases and indicates where money will be spent on programmes and services.

This website gives you access to the City’s original and adjusted budgets. 

Budget basics

What is a budget?

A budget is a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is an organisational plan stated in monetary terms. Its purpose is to provide a forecast of revenues and expenditures and enable the actual financial operation of the City to be measured against the forecast.

How much is the City's budget?

The City of Cape Town has a budget of R23 billion for the 2010/11 financial year.

The financial year begins on 1 July. The budget is divided into an operating budget and a capital budget. The bulk of the capital budget is dedicated to spending money on core infrastructural services for water, electricity, sanitation, solid waste, transport, roads and major projects.

Where does the City's revenue come from?

The City collects revenue from various sources. To achieve sustainable service delivery, we have to ensure sustainable income streams to our services.

Property rates are an important source of income, accounting for approximately 21% of the City’s revenue. Other sources include tariffs charged for water and sanitation, electricity and solid waste management, as well as other revenue veins such as investment income and National and Provincial grants.

What does the City spend its revenue on?

The City spends its revenue on the following services:

• Water, electricity, sanitation and refuse removal
  
• Transport infrastructure and traffic services
• Security in the form of Metro police and law enforcement officers
• Repairs and maintenance to infrastructure
• Provision of housing
• Relief for the poor
• Fire services
• Parks
• Libraries
• Sport and recreation facilities

What state are Cape Town’s finances in?

Cape Town’s finances are well managed: in 2010 the City received its sixth unqualified audit from the Auditor-General, and achieved a new milestone by being the only municipality in the Western Cape to achieve a ‘clean’ audit. In addition, Moody’s International, a global ratings agency, confirmed Cape Town’s top rating of Aa2.za.

How can residents be involved in the budget process?

The City encourages public participation in the budgetary process. A draft budget can be viewed at all City public libraries and is open to comment after it is tabled at Council in March each year. Once the deadline for comments has been met, amendments are considered and the final budget is approved by Council at the end of May each year. New rates and tariffs are implemented at the start of the new financial year, being 1 July.