City Hall clock and bell chime heard across Cape Town again

31 July 2025

The famous City Hall clock is ticking in perfect time and its beautiful bells are chiming once again after being fully restored.

The City Hall clock was removed in March of this year for repairs to restore its bells and chime mechanisms. The mechanism was manufactured by the UK clockmaker, JB Joyce & Co., who also built Big Ben, and was installed in City Hall in 1905.

Adorning the Cape Town City Hall and with Table Mountain in the background, the clock has become an iconic backdrop to events on the Grand Parade, such as the Festive Lights Switch-on and the start of the Cape Town Cycle Tour.

‘Great cities are built on small details and strong principles. A working City Hall clock and chiming bells are a symbol of our pride and heritage as Capetonians, and a reminder of our daily commitment to building a city of hope for all. From clock maintenance, to permanent lighting of the historic front façade, and restoring the carillon bells, we are taking care of Cape Town’s precious City Hall and the surrounding precinct in our flourishing Inner City, ensuring that the Mother City does not walk the path of decline sadly visible in other municipalities,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
 
The City Hall is one of the municipality’s strategic assets and its facilities have undergone several upgrades including to its CCTV system, wayfinding signage and lighting. 

‘These ongoing improvements have seen City Hall booked to near capacity, hosting events such as the State of the Nation Address (SONA), concerts of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra and various choir competitions. It is also host to the Nelson Mandela in Cape Town Legacy Exhibition, the Cape Town Civic Collection’s Attic Exhibition and Cape Town Tourism’s City Hall Visitor Experience Centre,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos.
 
The process of fixing the clock included restoring worn drum bushings and ensuring that the sound mechanism meets heritage preservation standards.
 
The turret clock features a three-train movement with separate mechanisms controlling the timekeeping, chimes and strikes. The Westminster chimes, once heard every quarter-hour, are similar to those of London’s Big Ben.
 
The original parts make it a rare example of historical horology, requiring special expertise to restore it.
 
‘I am extremely grateful to the Strategic Assets team for their careful work in restoring this beloved turret clock. City Hall is an important feature of Cape Town’s heritage and has been the location or backdrop to many of the most important moments in South Africa’s history. We will continue to do work that maintains its facilities and honours its legacy,’ said Alderman Vos. 

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Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town