City’s new support service to help landowners, small-scale developers build affordable rental flats
30 March 2026
The City wants to help small-scale developers and landowners in selected areas to build affordable rental flats that are of a better quality, safer, and legally connected to services such as water, sanitation, and electricity. One way of doing it is through our Local Planning Support (LPS) branch that is now up and running to help residents and stakeholders with the complicated planning processes, building plans, and to give advice. The LPS service was launched in Langa on Saturday, 28 March 2026.
The Spatial Planning and Environment Directorate’s Local Planning Support (LPS) service was launched in Langa on Saturday, 28 March 2026. The LPS service consists of a dedicated team of City officials from the Urban Planning and Design Department who are experts in planning processes, land use, design, and architecture. They are now available to provide free advice and guidance to entrepreneurs and landowners who want to build affordable rental units on their land in selected areas across Cape Town.
‘When we say we are building a City of Hope, we mean it, and this is how we are doing it – by helping small-scale developers and landowners to build dignified housing that is affordable, legal, and safe to rent. This way we are not only strengthening the quality of our neighbourhoods, but we are also improving the standard of living of those who will be renting these flats.
‘Building legal, safe, and affordable accommodation benefits all of us. Firstly, the landowner benefits as she can earn an income from renting out safe and legal units, and can also borrow money against these assets. Secondly, the tenant benefits because she has access to a unit that is safe and complies with health and safety regulations, and is legally connected to water, electricity, and sanitation. Thirdly, the broader neighbourhood benefits because they do not have overflowing sewers and blocked stormwater outlets and the risk of fires because of illegal connections. And the City benefits, because the private sector – be it the landowner or a small-scale developer – can build affordable rental flats much faster than we can ever dream of to meet the growing demand for this type of housing,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
In June last year, the City approved the revised Municipal Planning By-law.
The revised planning by-law makes it possible for landowners and micro-developers to build affordable rental flats in selected residential areas across Cape Town. These are areas where one will generally find state-funded housing developments, backyarder dwellings, and less formal structures and where the City has identified a big demand for affordable rental accommodation.
‘Many landowners may not know that they can now build these units on their land without needing to apply for special permissions from the City, and many micro-developers may also be unaware of how the changes to the Municipal Planning By-law can benefit them. This is why we have created the support service: to make the public aware of these changes and benefits, to educate all about the advantages of safe and dignified housing, and to help those who want to benefit from these changes by giving them easy access to the City’s guidance and resources,’ said Alderman Andrews.
This is how the local planning support service can help micro-developers and landowners:
navigating technical planning processes, and advising on processes where planning applications are needed
explaining land rights and development options
providing basic prototypical building plans that can be adopted or adjusted to fit the land parcel where the flats will be built
providing urban design guidelines
giving professional advice, guidance, and support through the whole process
assisting micro-developers to access the Development Charges Fund for building affordable housing in lower income communities. The fund subsidises development charges for small-scale rental unit developments to stimulate the affordable housing market and attract investment in targeted areas
For more information about the LPS service:
‘I encourage landowners and small-scale developers to make use of our support service. Reach out, and ask us to help, our dedicated officials will do all they can to guide you through this process,’ said Alderman Andrews.
On Saturday morning, 28 March 2026, Ald. Andrews also attended the sod-turning of a small-scale rental development in Wesbank, Delft.
‘I was invited to mark this very important occasion with the small-scale developer who is making use of the recent amendments to the Municipal Planning By-law that allow him to build affordable rental flats on this land. Officials from our Local Planning Support service assisted the developer with this process in getting everything ready and approved from a planning perspective, and now the construction is under way. This is a clear example of what we are trying to achieve with this support office,’ said Alderman Andrews.
In terms of the amended Municipal Planning By-law, the conditions for the development of affordable rental flats as an additional use right:
Are applicable to properties that fall within the 194 identified areas
May be developed on a property where there is only one existing house
The number of affordable rental units or flats on a single property may not exceed eight units plus a dwelling house, or a floor area of 160m²
The number of affordable rental units or flats on a single property may not exceed 12 units if no dwelling house exists on the land, or a floor area of 240m²
The height of the affordable rental unit or flat may not exceed eight metres or two storeys
The construction of the affordable rental flat is subject to the payment of a development charge
The 194 target areas include, amongst others: Bellville, Beacon Valley, Belhar, Bishop Lavis, Brown’s Farms, Bloekombos, Crossroads, Delft, Dunoon, Enkanini, Fisantekraal, Grassy Park, Gugulethu, Heideveld, Joe Slovo Park, Kraaifontein, Khayelitsha, Kuyasa, Langa, Lavender Hill, Lentegeur, Lwandle, Mamre, Nomzamo, Nyanga, Ocean View, Parow Valley, Pelican Park, Philippi, Phoenix, Retreat, Westlake, Muizenberg, Hout Bay, Sea Winds, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Strand, Strandfontein, Steenberg, Scottsdene, Saxonsea, Sun City, The Hague, Valhalla Park, Vrygrond, Wallacedene, Wetton, Witsand and Westridge in Mitchells Plain.
Caption 1: Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, attended the sod-turning of a small-scale rental development in Wesbank in Delft on Saturday morning, 28 March 2026. Officials from the City’s Local Planning Support service assisted the owner, Mr Sithembele Sidzumo, with the technical planning processes, and now the construction is under way.
Caption 2: The City launched its Local Planning Support (LPS) service in Langa on Saturday, 28 March 2026. Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, senior officials, and stakeholders, attended the event that also included a tour of affordable rental units in the neighbourhood. The LPS service provides guidance and professional advice to small-scale developers and landowners to build affordable rental flats that provide quality accommodation, are safe, and legally connected to services such as water, sanitation, and electricity.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
