Over 5 800 new toilets and 700 taps installed to improve dignity in informal settlements

27 July 2025

Through its Informal Settlements and Basic Services (ISBS) branch, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate provided 709 new taps and 5 873 toilets across more than 75 informal settlements during the 2024/25 financial year.

This forms part of the City’s ongoing commitment to expand access to basic services, particularly clean water and safe sanitation. Just over R35 million was invested in this effort.

The latest rollout brings the total number of services provided by the ISBS branch to 69 081 toilets and 10 488 taps across 702 informal settlements throughout the City at no cost to residents, with ongoing maintenance also funded by the City.

‘Water and sanitation service delivery is about more than just provision of basic infrastructure. The hard work being done by our Informal Settlement and Basic Services branch to maintain these facilities, is to restore dignity and continuously improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable communities,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.

Tapping into 2024/2025
The City set out to install 750 taps and 3 500 toilets. However, the tap target was narrowly missed due to delays in sourcing local labour. Another obstacle was the discovery of unknown underground services during excavations, necessitating changes in design and new wayleave approvals; as well as extensive community engagement needed in some cases to address extortion threats.

These remaining installations will continue into the 2025/26 financial year.

Significant successes in service delivery in informal settlements during the 2024/2025 financial year included:
• Portable flush toilets (PFTs) rolled out to 31 informal settlements
• More than 17 000 households gained new access to clean water
• Over 11 900 households benefited from improved sanitation services

‘We acknowledge that infrastructure delivery in informal settlements comes with unique challenges, but our teams are working tirelessly, often under very difficult circumstances to ensure that no communities are left behind due to their socio-economic circumstances. Every tap and toilet installed is another step toward attaining dignity for all of our residents,’ said Councillor Badroodien.

Looking ahead for 2025/2026
The City has already committed R39,1 million for further expansion of ISBS services this financial year, with upcoming installations in Langa, Nyanga, Philippi and Wallacedene.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office