City’s Call Centre blankets winter woes
27 June 2025
This year’s increased winter rain has led to flooding, sewer overflows, blockages and an increased number of service requests from residents. The City’s Customer Relations team has thus far handled an average of 4 621 calls per day. The most frequent service request is ‘no power’ while there has been a 32% call volume increase in the Water and Electricity fault reporting queues for Wednesday, 25 June 2025, as compared to the same period last week. The City has several channels where residents can report service requests and more.
Before the start of the winter season, various City directorates ramp up their winter readiness efforts to proactively maintain and ensure that there are minimal weather-related disruptions on infrastructure and services. Thus far, between 1 and 25 June 2025, the City has received 95 420 service requests. The top five requests related to power outages, blocked sewers, street lights out, potholes and blocked gulleys/channels.
‘The City has in recent months enhanced the range of complaint types available to residents via our online fault reporting service. All of these efforts are in a bid to ensure that we make life easier for Cape Town residents and visitors. Since 1 June 2025, the City’s Call Centre dealt with 115 525 telephonic requests across its contact centre queues,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Alderman Theresa Uys.
Service requests can be logged with the City via one of the following channels:
• Call Centre on 0860 103 089 (All service requests)
• SMS to 31220 or email power@capetown.gov.za (electricity faults)
• SMS to 31373 or email water@capetown.gov.za (water faults)
• Email to accounts@capetown.gov.za
• Report online at www.capetown.gov.za/ServiceRequests
• Walk-in Centres
• Subcouncil offices
The City of Cape Town's service request app ensures that residents are able to report issues or send requests to the correct line department, such as: blocked stormwater drains, electricity outages, vandalised City property, uncollected refuse or waste, tree removal and cutting, illegal dumping, parks and public spaces and more.
Despite the increase in demand, the City’s Customer Relations department has managed to maintain an answer rate within expected levels.
Caption 1: Alderman Theresa Uys at the City’s Call Centre in the Civic Centre, Cape Town
Caption 2: Zusive Yoyo, Customer Relations Manager Helourine Seyffert and Alderman Theresa Uys
Caption 3: Chris van Der Vyver and Alderman Theresa Uys
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
