Identikidz off to a strong start with nearly 12 000 registrations
17 December 2025
The free Identikidz child safety programme kicked off at Cape Town beaches on Monday, 15 December and in just two days, more than 11 998 children were tagged. Implemented by the City’s Community Services and Health Directorate, the programme helps keep thousands of children safe at some of the city’s busiest beaches during the peak summer season.
The Identikidz programme is coordinated by the Community, Arts and Culture Development Department (CACD).
On Monday, as the programme kicked off, 3 079 children were tagged.
Yesterday, 8 919 children were registered as crowds flocked to the beaches.
No children were lost or missing on Monday, while 11 were reunited with parents or caregivers yesterday.
The most popular beaches for registration were Strandfontein (1 540), Strand (1 316), and Muizenberg (1 120).
With Identikidz, parents and caregivers are able to register children at participating beaches – they are issued with an armband that contains a unique serial number. The armband number is recorded together with the caregiver’s contact details, allowing officials to quickly reunite children with their families if they become separated.
‘Yesterday was just an indication of how popular and busy our beaches are. The sheer number of visitors can be overwhelming to smaller children and it’s easy for them to get lost. While child safety is the primary responsibility of parents and caregivers, Identikidz gives an extra layer of protection to our most vulnerable.
‘This initiative is completely free and will be available at some of our busiest beaches. If your children are joining other families or friends, please ask them to stop at the green container upon arrival and remember to give them your phone number before they leave home,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham.
The programme will run over 15 days, from 09:00 until 18:30 on the following dates:
15–16, 20–21, and 25–28 December 2025; and 1, 3–4, 10–11, and 17–18 January 2026.
Participating beaches: Big Bay, Camps Bay, Fish Hoek, Gordon’s Bay, Harmony Park, Melkbosstrand, Milnerton Beach, Mnandi, Monwabisi, Muizenberg, Sea Point and surrounding area, Silwerstroom, Strand and Strandfontein.
The service will be available at Maiden’s Cove on 26 December and 1 January.
To help protect children during their beach visit, CACD officials will:
Register children and issue them with an identification tag/wrist band, with the permission of parents or caretakers.
Assist with the reunification of a lost or displaced child
Work closely with the provincial Department of Social Development, the City’s enforcement agencies and the South African Police Service to ensure the safety and reunification of a lost or displaced child with their family
CACD will deploy 53 officials and 159 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) staff members who will work closely with other City departments, including the Disaster Risk Management Centre.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
