Finland celebrates Cape Town’s Digital Twin technology success

01 June 2026

On Friday, 29 May 2026, the City of Cape Town, led by the Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Alderman Theresa Uys and Corporate Services Executive Director, Ernest Sass, met with Finnish programme partners and technical experts to strengthen collaboration and reflect on progress made through an innovative ‘Digital Twin’ initiative aimed at improving the management of public buildings and facilities. The initiative forms part of the Finnish Digital and Green Transition (FDGT) programme that is funded by Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management.

‘Facilities Management plays a central role in the City’s Digital Twin initiative by providing the operational knowledge, asset data and day-to-day building management expertise needed to create accurate digital representations of municipal facilities. As the City, we have made a clear commitment to become a data-driven, evidence-based organisation that uses technology to enhance service delivery and strengthen long-term planning. Through this Digital Twin initiative, we have developed a strategic framework, implemented a practical pilot project, strengthened internal skills and created a roadmap to scale this work across our facilities portfolio,’ said Alderman Theresa Uys, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services.

Through Digital Twin technology, which is a live digital copy of a real building, the City’s Facilities Management teams are able to integrate maintenance records, building systems, space usage information and real-time operational data into a single digital platform. This enables smarter maintenance planning, faster fault detection, improved energy efficiency, better use of public assets and more informed long-term decision-making.

‘We are all here to celebrate the City of Cape Town’s success with this Digital Twin technology. In Finland they say, “se joka kuuseen kurkottaa, se katajaan kapsahtaa”, which means if you aim too high without practicality, you risk falling harder. The City of Cape Town does a great job of balancing ambition with practical outcomes. Digital Twin technology is no longer just a concept; it is becoming a real operational tool that can improve maintenance, planning and service delivery,’ said Dr Vincent Kuo of VXT Research, who was seconded by the Finnish government to support the project.

‘Working with the City of Cape Town has been like working with municipalities in Finland; the relationship has been professional, practical and focused on outcomes that genuinely improve people’s lives. The collaboration reflects a strong alignment between Finnish and South African innovation goals. These partnerships create opportunities for shared learning, stronger governance and future digital innovation between Africa and Europe,’ said Shirin Namiq from HAUS Finland.

The City of Cape Town’s Corporate Services Directorate manages a portfolio of City facilities, which includes 159 City buildings, 120 clinics, 102 libraries, 38 Early Childhood Development Centres, 31 fire stations, 19 Metro Police offices, 31 traffic centres, 54 Law Enforcement offices, as well as 11 municipal courts.

The City of Cape Town selected the Bellville Civic Centre as the pilot site for its Digital Twin initiative due to the facility’s diverse customer-facing and administrative functions. Phase 1 of the project was completed in December 2025, with Phase 2 successfully concluded in May 2026. Building on the project's success, the City plans to further expand its Digital Twin strategy, having already realised significant benefits in the Facilities Management environment.

Caption 1: ED Ernest Sass, Shirin Namiq, Alderman Theresa Uys and Vincent Kuo,
Caption 2: Group photograph of all who attended the Facilities Management FDGT Technical Assistance Partnership Event.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office