Innovative sanitation system to boost dignity in Khayelitsha as City marks World Toilet Day
19 November 2025
In recognition of World Toilet Day on Wednesday, 19 November, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien, and Councillor Kayalethu Gxasheka for Ward 89 visited the innovative sanitation solution being installed at OR Tambo Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha to enhance dignified sanitation in informal settlements.
World Toilet Day is observed each year on 19 November to bring attention to the lack of toilets for billions of people globally. It encourages everyone to learn and spread the word about how proper toilets and sanitation can save lives.
Annually the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate invests in providing taps and toilets in informal settlements. In this financial year, 2025/2026, R39,1 million has been budgeted for new taps and toilets in addition to services already provided.
Through the directorate’s Informal Settlements Basic Services (ISBS) branch, the City currently provides 10 188 taps and 71 909 toilets to 726 informal settlements across the city. This includes regular maintenance and cleaning, funded by the City.
ISBS exceeds its targets
ISBS exceeded its target for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year by delivering 161 new taps and 1 157 toilets to households in informal settlements across Cape Town. This strong performance demonstrates the City’s commitment to meeting service demand in growing informal settlements.
More innovative sanitation solutions to be handed over
In addition to the conventional options, the City continues to explore alternative options to enhance the sanitation service provision in informal settlements.
One of these initiatives is the Innovative Sanitation Technology Pilot Project. This pioneering initiative was made possible through a partnership between the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate, the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Gates Foundation. This off-grid, self-sustaining flush system is ideal for areas where sewer connections are not possible due to ground conditions or space constraints.
‘Water and sanitation service delivery to informal settlements is more than just the provision of dignified and basic infrastructure. The hard work being done by our Informal Settlement and Basic Services branch to maintain these facilities, aims to continuously improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable communities in Cape Town. I am looking forward to the official handover to the OR Tambo community in the next few weeks,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
In the next few weeks, the OR Tambo Informal Settlement will be the fourth to receive this alternative off-grid high-tech sanitation solution, which forms part of the City’s long-term plan for dignified sanitation across informal settlements.
The new installation at OR Tambo, which started in September 2025, consists of 36 toilets, housed in three refurbished shipping containers, each with nine full-flush toilets. Each toilet cubicle is fitted with a wash basin, sanitary bins and accessible options for people living with disabilities, including a wheelchair ramp.
The facility is powered by solar and wind energy, and includes a modular treatment plant that treats wastewater to flush-water standards which is then re-used for flushing. This removes the need for bulk sewer connections, making it an ideal solution for areas with limited infrastructure.
Caption 1: Jarred Jupp, Commissioning Engineer for WEC, explains to Ward Councillor Kayalethu Gxasheka (Ward 89) how the high-tech sanitation system operates.
Caption 2: From left to right: Ntwanano Mandlazi (Project Manager), Jarred Jupp (Commissioning Engineer) and Belinda Nondzuba (Plant Operator) from WCE, with Councillor Kayalethu Gxasheka in front of one of the completed sanitation units at the OR Tambo Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha.
Caption 3: The technology powering the new sanitation solution, including components of the modular treatment plant that treats wastewater to flush-water standards for reuse.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
