Improved sanitation access with new portable flush toilets in Khayelitsha
30 October 2025
Since the start of the 2025/26 financial year in July, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has provided 872 portable flush toilets (PFTs) to households in CT Tshabalala, DT Section, Khunkqu, and Quandu Quandu informal settlements in Khayelitsha. Over the same period, the Informal Settlements Basic Services (ISBS) branch also attended to 1 790 maintenance activities across informal settlements citywide.
During July and August 2025, 872 households gained access to safer and more dignified sanitation facilities. The rollout of PFTs was identified as the most suitable solution after consultation with community representatives. PFTs offer an improved level of convenience, hygiene and safety, particularly for women, children, the elderly, and people living with disabilities.
Our focus remains on ensuring that every resident, regardless of where they live, has access to dignified and reliable sanitation services. Portable flush toilets are one of several practical solutions that allow us to respond quickly to the needs of communities while longer-term infrastructure plans are developed,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
‘We use this toilet for our family only, and it’s much better than the shared ones. It’s a clean and convenient solution that we can use safely at home,’ said Noxolo Mxhiki, a resident of the DT informal settlement in Khayelitsha and a recipient of a portable flush toilet.
Each informal settlement presents unique challenges such as limited space, proximity to wetlands, or land ownership constraints, which can limit the installation of full-flush toilets. PFTs in the four focus areas were issued, in addition to existing container toilets, chemical toilets, and full flush toilets. The PFTs will be serviced four times a week — on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday - and are replaced if they are broken or leaking.
Future investments
In the next few months, the City will be extending full-flush toilet installations to Langa, Philippi, Nyanga, Lavender Hill and Imizamo Yethu.
The City has also committed R44,6 million to further expand ISBS services this financial year, by installing 750 taps and handing over 4000 toilets.
Maintenance efforts continue
There are four designated depots in the City which provides support to residents in informal settlements, with repairs and maintenance to City-installed taps and toilets, to ensure they are in working condition.
Of the 1790 service requests attended to, 189 were repairs to toilet cisterns, 217 water pipe bursts and 207 toilet blockages.
Residents need to please log their water and sanitation related service requests linked to vandalism, blocked sewers, sewer overflows, etc, to one of these channels:
End
Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town
