Cape Town adopts City of Hope Budget including R40 billion basic infrastructure investment. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that the City has managed to keep its SA-record R40bn basic infrastructure investment intact for the next three years. At it is offering the widest rates relief and lowest monthly bills of SA’s cities.
Reportedly, the City Council adopted the City of Hope Budget 2026-27 on June 29, 2026. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis stated that they are proud to table the City of Hope budget for adoption with every part of the basic infrastructure investment that is still intact. This is alongside expanded relief to shield lower- and middle-income households from the impact of the recent court ruling, limiting the ability of municipalities to cross-subsidise.
In this way, they are fulfilling the promise to Capetonians that they will do what it takes to move Cape Town forward and will avoid every tragic collapse of infrastructure and services that they are seeing in so many other cities right now.
According to Lewis, whether it is pipe replacement across the water and sewer network, the massive upgrades to the wastewater treatment works, the new Cape Flats MyCiti route across the Cape Flats to Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, critical investments to the electricity grid, informal settlements upgrade programmes, or any of the hundreds of projects to improve public amenities, roads, waterways and public spaces, each and every one of them is vital for Cape Town’s future development.
This recent budget ensures that Cape Town continues to be South Africa’s beacon of hope. It is offering the best services and value for ratepayer contributions, the widest social relief measures for struggling households and the lowest property rates of all the metros by some distance.
As per the sources, around 130,000 construction-related jobs will flow from capital investment in the current term of office alone. Along with 75% of infrastructure spending directly and benefitting lower-income households.