A City-backed, community-led painting project gets under way in Uitsig
13 February 2026
The City of Cape Town, in partnership with the Atterbury Trust, has started with a community-led house-painting initiative in Uitsig, marking the first visible implementation phase of the broader neighbourhood renewal initiative under the City’s Mayoral Urban Regeneration Programme (MURP).
This initiative will see 22 homes painted across selected streets in Uitsig. Following this pilot phase, the programme will expand to approximately 75 homes per week, with a total of 1000 homes targeted for painting as part of Phase 1 of the Uitsig community renewal project.
The painting initiative stems from a comprehensive door-to-door community survey conducted in Uitsig in May 2025. This survey was made possible with the support of trained local Community Ambassadors using the Wakamoso platform, and covered 1 187 formal stands and 402 backyard dwellings, which represents close to 40% of units in the area. Residents identified visible improvements to the neighbourhood environment as a priority for restoring dignity, pride and confidence.
‘This work is guided directly by what residents told us matters most in their daily lives. By grounding implementation in community-identified priorities, we are able to deliver change that is both visible and meaningful,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
The pilot project focuses on homes along Carnation Avenue; Aster Avenue; Tambotie Court and Erica Road and is being implemented through a mix of resident-led DIY painting; supervised teams and assisted support where required.
Uitsig is a designated MURP node, and this project aligns with the programme’s focus on targeted, place-based interventions that combine physical improvements with local economic participation and skills development.
Community Ambassadors are EPWP workers recruited from within Uitsig, and are integrally involved in the day-to-day running of the project. Their role includes resident engagement; daily check-ins with participating households; supervision where required; coordination of materials and progress tracking.
‘Our Community Ambassadors are central to how this project operates. They are local EPWP workers who understand the area, work directly with residents, and help ensure that implementation is coordinated, accountable and rooted in the community,’ said Alderman Andrews.
Beyond painting, the broader Uitsig by Uitsig programme includes household and community food gardens; murals; skills registration; CV development and support for local businesses, forming part of a multi-pronged approach to neighbourhood renewal.
‘Partnerships such as this one with the Atterbury Trust allow us to align private-sector investment with community priorities and public-sector coordination. This is how we deliver regeneration that builds pride, creates opportunity and strengthens local resilience,’ said Alderman Andrews.
The City will continue to provide technical guidance, coordination, and oversight throughout the roll-out to ensure alignment with broader MURP objectives.
Caption 1: Deputy Mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews; Emmerentia Claasen (homeowner) and Councillor Beverly Van Reenen.
Caption 2: Alderman Eddie Andrews accompanied by some of the community ambassadors assisting with this painting project in Uitsig.
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
