About informal housing
According to South Africa’s 2011 Census, 20,5% of Cape Town’s households live in informal dwellings – with 7% in informal backyard structures and 13,5% in informal settlements. We expect this amount to rise steadily as more and more people move to the city looking for work.
Basic services for informal settlements
We are committed to maintaining and improving services to informal households, helping individuals and families meet their basic needs. We also have several housing programmes which are in place to help South Africans rent or own safer formal housing. We provide free basic water, sanitation, and electricity to informal settlements all around Cape Town.
The minimum services we aim to provide to informal settlements is:
- a water tap per 25 families within a radius of 200 m;
- a minimum of one toilet per five families; and
- weekly refuse removal (bags not bins).
We also recognise that grey water disposal and stormwater runoffs are part of raising these communities’ standard of living.
Find out more about
waste removal services and
water and sanitation supply services for informal settlements.
Did you know?
A caring city: There are some informal areas where issues like waterlogged land, property disputes, and very high densities stop us from providing these basic services. We are gradually working to reconfigure these areas.
Safety first
Like any building or structure, informal dwellings need to be safe for the people living in them. If you are living in an informal settlement or backyard structure, take note of these basic safety and building tips:
- Keep away from exposed cables and don't leave any electricity connections open.
- Do not build near exposed electricity lines.
- Make sure your structure is well ventilated.
- Raise your structure from the ground so that your home does not flood in winter.
- Make sure you are
fire safe and
paraffin safe.
Report or request a service in an informal settlement
Please contact our 24-hour Customer Call Centre to report:
- burst pipes and water leaks;
- a faulty water meter;
- blocked and overflowing sewers;
- pollution of stormwater pipes and rivers;
- illegal use of water (dampening of building sand, hosing down paved areas, watering outside stipulated hours, tampering with water connections);
- missing or stolen manhole covers; and
- damaged or vandalised communal taps or toilets in informal settlements.
Apply for a housing opportunity
Please see our housing opportunities for information on the types of housing you might qualify for, and for more details on how you can apply and register on our Housing Needs Register (previously known as the Housing Database).
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