City attends to more than 15 000 streetlight-related requests between May and June

07 July 2026

The City Energy teams attended to a massive 15 286 streetlight-related service requests between 26 May 2026 and 25 June 2026. The City thanks residents for their continued patience as streetlights across the metro are repaired.

‘Our teams attended to 40 178 overall service requests, which includes 15 286 streetlight related requests during this period. This is compared to 43 928 electricity related service requests and 13 074 streetlight-related service requests from the previous month. Teams have worked hard to decrease the backlog caused by the devastating storm which impacted the metro over four days in May.

‘The City’s Area East recorded the highest number of streetlight-related service requests attended to, with a total of 6 351. Area East includes Helderberg, Oostenberg, Bloemhof, and Parow. Area South recorded the second highest number of service requests at 5 317, while Area North recorded 3 560 streetlight requests, during the same period. 

‘The City takes infrastructure upgrades seriously and we are investing more than R4 billion as part of our medium-term capital investment programme to improve the strength and reliability of our electricity distribution network in all areas. Over the next three years, an additional R1 bn has been allocated to support streetlight maintenance, expansion, and upgrades through the installation of advanced LED lamps to improve lighting and deliver greater energy efficiency.

‘We thank our residents for continuing to watch out for suspicious activity near electricity infrastructure. Let’s protect your power together and report vandalism and theft to the City and South African Police Service,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Alderman Xanthea Limberg.

City Interventions

• The City’s Protect Your Power campaign highlights the impact of vandalism, theft, and illegal connections that leave communities in the dark.
• Energy Safety Team and City Law Enforcement continue to be visible in all hotspot areas. 
• The City continues to roll out anti-theft and vandalism tech solutions. 
• We are installing low-street-value equipment in place of copper to discourage theft and vandalism

We ask members of the public to report any suspicious behaviour to us so that we can Protect Your Power together. Electrical infrastructure is typically situated in our communities, often abutting private property. Swift reporting will enable the City to act with speed to prevent extensive damage. 
 
Streetlight-related requests attended to per metro area:

Theft and vandalism remains the biggest driver of streetlight, and power outages

*Note: The data looks at all streetlight-related service requests closed over a particular period. Data is dynamic and new requests are constantly added to the already logged requests, as well as historic service requests. The data looks only at streetlight-related requests and does not include other energy service requests attended to over the period in review.

Let’s ACT: Protect Your Power against theft, illegal connections and vandalism

• Report suspicious behaviour to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre: 021 480 7700
• Report illegal scrap yards to the ‘Copperheads’: 0800 222 771 (toll free, 24/7, anonymous tip-offs)

 SAPS remains the lead authority in crime prevention.

Report to the City

Streetlight and electricity faults:

Call Centre: 0860 103 089
SMS: 31220
WhatsApp: 060 018 1505
 

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office