CAPE TOWN, Western Cape — As South Africa’s local government elections on November 4 approach, the City of Cape Town finds itself at the centre of an intensifying debate over whether its reputation as the country’s best-run metro extends beyond affluent suburbs and into the townships where millions of residents say basic services remain out of reach.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has certified 55 political parties and 12 independent candidates to contest the Cape Town metro ballot, making it one of the most crowded electoral fields in the country. Yet for many residents in areas like Khayelitsha, the proliferation of political choices has done little to close the gap between the city’s glossy tourism image and the daily realities of sewage overflows, electricity blackouts, and violent extortion.
A Tale of Two Cities
Local government expert Dr. Thina Nzo says the service delivery crisis confronting Cape Town is rooted in spatial inequalities that stretch back to the colonial period of the 1800s and were entrenched during apartheid.
“These are legacies that you don’t just hear through experiences — you visually see them when you land in Cape Town, when you drive in Cape Town: the two worlds that are so far apart, yet so close,” Dr. Nzo said. She identified human settlements and the unequal division of services as the most glaring issues the metro faces, arguing that the city has failed to bridge class and racial distinctions that should have no place in a post-democratic South Africa.
Dr. Nzo further criticised Cape Town’s economic strategy, which she says leans too heavily on tourism, private property development, and luxury housing markets in areas like Clifton — where elite property values continue to soar — while neglecting the social infrastructure needed by the working-class communities who service those very industries.
“Cape Town has fallen into the trap of most developing-country cities aspiring to become the New Yorks or Londons of this world,” she said. “If you cannot balance private property markets with affordable housing and social infrastructure for working-class communities, you are causing more inequalities and pushing people into socially deprived areas that are more prone to criminal exploitation.”
Township Economy Under Strain
Mkhululi Mbobosi, chairperson of the Khayelitsha Business Forum, offered a ground-level perspective from one of Cape Town’s largest economic zones. He noted that South Africa’s township economy is valued at approximately R900 billion annually — roughly 12% of the national GDP — but said that wealth is “not fully felt” in Khayelitsha, home to an estimated 2 to 2.4 million people.
“Studies show we have one informal business in every household,” Mbobosi said. “But based on the challenges we face almost every day, it makes it very difficult for us to share in the success of our city as the best-run metro in South Africa.”
He pointed to city data showing that 24% of households in Khayelitsha currently lack access to electricity. For small businesses, the consequences are severe: load reduction measures knock out power for refrigeration, baking equipment, Wi-Fi connectivity, and point-of-sale systems. One Khayelitsha bakery, Mbobosi said, has been forced to slash production schedules and reduce output because of unreliable power.
“When there is no water, there is no electricity. Perishable goods spoil, machines go down, and customer traffic disappears,” he explained. “Small traders cannot afford generators.”
Mbobosi also highlighted the cascading effect of failing infrastructure on public safety. When streetlights go out, alarm systems fail, leaving businesses vulnerable to break-ins. Sewage pipe leaks force shops to close early, and customers avoid areas they perceive as unsafe. A Public Protector report published in July, he added, confirmed that municipal services in Khayelitsha remain starkly unequal compared to those in the city’s suburban areas.
Extortion Economy and Crime
Both speakers addressed the growing extortion economy that has taken root in Cape Town’s townships, a phenomenon Mbobosi described as an undeniable criminal element that stifles enterprise.
“Extortion makes it very difficult for businesses — especially informal traders and even mainstream traders — to operate without fear,” Mbobosi said. He called on all law enforcement agencies to collaborate in dismantling the protection-fee networks that prey on local entrepreneurs.
Dr. Nzo linked the rise in criminality directly to the city’s spatial and economic divides, arguing that when communities are pushed to the margins without adequate services or economic opportunity, criminal entities fill the vacuum.
Informal Settlements and the Land Question
With several political parties promising informal settlement upgrades ahead of the November 4 vote, Dr. Nzo cautioned that the reality on the ground is far more complex. She pointed to the challenge of urban gentrification and the scarcity of available land suitable for development.
She cited the example of a community established during the COVID-19 pandemic — colloquially named “COVID-19” — which was built on low-lying, sandy terrain prone to flooding and soil instability. Upgrading such settlements would require enormous investment to stabilise the land, and the parcels in question are often not owned by the city, complicating any land-release process.
“Once a city becomes very dense and surrounding areas are mostly privately owned, land becomes the greatest challenge,” Dr. Nzo said.
Will the DA Hold Cape Town?
With speculation mounting that the Democratic Alliance (DA) could lose its grip on the metro, Dr. Nzo offered a measured assessment. While she acknowledged that the DA may see a dip in voter share, she said a complete loss of control remains unlikely.
“Opposition parties in Cape Town have been weak over the years since the ANC lost the city many moons ago,” she said. “Community members from socially deprived areas understand that the DA is not fully servicing their needs, but the opposition has not demonstrated the institutional capability to offer a credible alternative.”
City Declines to Comment
Attempts to include a representative from the City of Cape Town in discussions about these service delivery challenges were unsuccessful, with the municipality declining to participate.
As November 4 draws nearer, the 55 parties and 12 independents vying for Cape Town voters will need to convince residents in the metro’s most underserved communities that this election cycle will deliver more than promises — and that the gap between Cape Town’s two worlds can finally begin to close.
