Homeowners are made in Cape Town

17 July 2025

This year has seen a record-breaking 1 048 title deeds issued in just six months, bringing the total of deeds delivered in Cape Town to more than 6 500 rightful new homeowners since Mayoral Committee Member Councillor Carl Pophaim launched the renewed title deeds strategy in our city. This critical initiative forms part of the City’s commitment to enable secure home ownership, redress past injustices and create sustainable, empowered communities.

The City has implemented a robust new system which streamlines verification, processing and delivery of title deeds. A key element of this strategy has been the development of a master integrated system. It has enabled targeted outreach, including door-to-door visits and beneficiary engagement to speed up the handover process.

‘I am obsessed with creating homeowners. We have set the target of 11 000 and we are currently more than halfway with our renewed title deed programme. I am so pleased with this progress and am thrilled that we are making meaningful change. Title deeds allow our residents to fully access the economic, legal and emotional benefits of property ownership. Without a title deed, residents are unable to use their homes as financial assets, leaving them without the security that comes with formal ownership. We have already tracked down more than 6 500 beneficiaries through our title deed programme and we have less than 5 000 to go – and these are typically the difficult cases, where we do not have updated details for the beneficiary or they are in another province – and we are fully committed to this mission.

‘Our goal is to restore dignity and create generational security and opportunity for families. Each title deed represents recognition of ownership, an important step in building sustainable communicates. In one of the campaign’s most heart-warming moments, a 100-year-old resident received their deed, a reminder of the impact secure tenure has on individuals and families. I saw this benefit directly in my own family when a deed changed my grandmother’s life and it’s doing the same for so many families.

‘If you are a beneficiary in an older City of Cape Town housing development, and do not have your title deed, you are encouraged to contact the City. Over the next few months, you will also see our new and improved Human Settlements bus going into all areas of the metro, not only to bringing services closer to communities, but also taking our Title-Deed-to-Door programme to our residents again,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Carl Pophaim.

The campaign has seen an increase in foot traffic at the Cape Town Civic Centre as more residents visit us to claim their deeds. We encourage residents who have not yet received their deed to come forward. Beneficiaries can visit the Civic Centre, contact the Human Settlements Directorate or engage with the mobile office when it visits their area.

Contact us for more information or to update details on the Housing Needs Register:
Telephone: 021 444 0333
Website: https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/HWL2012Online/ 
Email: housing.db@capetown.gov.za

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office