City of Cape Town Link

Conserving our coast

Our coastline is a highly sensitive, dynamic and important part of our natural heritage. It offers economic, social and environmental benefits to us all, thus requiring dedicated and careful management.

What you can do to protect our coast

At the City, we are committed to finding a balance between promoting the socio-economic value of the coast, while ensuring the integrity of the coast is preserved into the future. The coast is increasingly coming under pressure as populations of coastal cities swell with more and more infrastructure and activities located at the margin of land and sea masses.

We can all be active – let’s work together to protect the part of our city which we love.

Fast fact

African Black Oystercatchers are South Africa’s most rare, indigenous coastal bird – not found anywhere else on earth. Be careful of eggs and chicks when walking in breeding areas and never touch or remove eggs.

Here are seven core actions you can take to work with us to preserve this precious resource:

Call the Marine Law Enforcement Unit to report any suspicious or anti-social behaviour on 021 596 1999.
Participate in a coastal clean up. Several organisations such as Clean C host coastal clean-up days throughout the year.
SMS 079 499 8795 or download the SASSI app to check the status of fish you buy or catch.
Dispose of old fishing line in the dedicated fishing line bins.
Stay informed – download and share our Integrated Coastal Management Programme.
Become a lifeguard.
Learn more about our lesser-known beaches and our coastline’s fascinating ecology and creatures. Browse our City of Cape Town Beaches: A Diversity of Coastal Treasures Map and Booklet to find out more about some of our beautiful beaches.

How we protect our coast

We have a number of programmes, projects and partnerships geared towards maintaining and promoting the ecological integrity of our coastline, and help make our beaches and coastal parks available for all of us to enjoy, responsibly.

Coastal Management Programme

Our Coastal Management Programme (CMP) is a detailed management and action plan which lays out the City’s approach to managing all aspects of the coastal environment. The CMP, which was adopted in May 2015, sets out to improve the socio-economic and environmental value of our coastal zone by focusing on four important elements:

Defining departmental roles and responsibilities for coastal management
Setting out policy where appropriate
Promoting strategic decision-making along the City’s coastline
Outlining management style and protocols

A summary of the Coastal Management Programme is available in three languages: English, Afrikaans and Xhosa. It has also been divided up into chapters, which you can view below.

The Coastal Management Programme:

See all documents

Fast fact

The rate of sea-level rise has doubled from approximately 0,2 millimetres to 0,4 millimetres per year in the last decades of the 20th century. Following this trend, sea levels are expected to rise by approximately 72 centimetres by the year 2100.

Policies

The following policies provide the sound legal and regulatory framework for our programme:

Fast fact

Beach-cast kelp is vital for maintaining the ecological integrity of our coastal ecosystems. Kelp on the beach traps wind-blown sand, contributes to the nourishment of the sand and promotes dune and vegetation growth. This in turn also helps protect City-run and private infrastructure from coastal erosion and storm-surge events.

Dune management projects

A large proportion of Cape Town’s coastline has been physically altered through development, meaning that some dune systems now need to be artificially managed. Management of dune systems on City land is undertaken in accordance with the City’s Dune and Beach Maintenance Management Plan.

There are a number of ongoing dune rehabilitation projects currently underway in Cape Town.

View the infographics below for more detailed information about the projects:

More initiatives

Have a look at some of the other wider coastal management initiatives we run and/or support:

Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) – promoting sustainable fishing and eating
Blue Flag beaches – the mark of a truly world class beach
Shark Spotters – keeping surfers and swimmers safer
Fish Hoek Shark exclusion net
Fishing Line Bin project

City Connect

Join or donate to the Shark Spotters Programme

Protected Areas

We also have several Marine Protected Areas along Cape Town’s coastline. See our map of our protected areas, including nature reserves in our document download section. Find more maps of ecologically sensitive areas in the Cape Town Biodiversity Spatial Plan.

Strong policies and legislation

Our approach to protecting the coast from natural and man-made threats is mapped out in our policies and strategies such as the Integrated Coastal Management Policy. This policy sets out a vision statement and identifies key principles underpinning integrated coastal management in Cape Town.

You can find all of our policies and legislation in our document centre.