Cape Town: The City Council has approved the Development Charges Exemption Criteria for ECDs. It also approved the refined criteria this week, following a review of the initiative to facilitate ease of access for Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres.
The development charges are applicable to any building or infrastructure development project in Cape Town. The once-off fee is imposed at the time of a land development application or when an application is made to change the lawful land use or zoning of a property.
Several years ago, the City of Cape Town identified this as a stumbling block to Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres, that gave rise to the Development Charges Exemption Criteria for ECDs, which were approved by the Council in October 2020.
Any ECD that meets the criteria can therefore be exempted from paying the development costs. After five years, the criteria have been refined following a series of engagements with the sector and the public at large.
The key changes are that the City of Cape Town will consider the applications for ECDs on government owned properties under certain conditions and simplifying the tax-related documentation required for applications.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Health – Councillor Francine Higham said that the review is more than an administrative adjustment. It is another step in building an enabling environment for those who carry one of the most important responsibilities of the city, considering the early development and safety of the youngest children.
According to Higham, this will not only reduce the financial burden on community-based and low-fee ECDs but will also support the compliance and registration, by helping more centres in meeting the city and provincial standards. It will also promote the equitable access to early learning, particularly in vulnerable and under-serviced areas.
Since the beginning of the current financial year in July, the City of Cape Town has processed exemptions to the value of nearly R600,000.
Deputy Mayor and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Spatial Planning and Environment – Alderman Eddie Andrews said that this is all about shifting from a compliance-first system to a partnership-first system that supports and acknowledges the important role ECDs must play as social infrastructure.
The amendments that were approved by the Council address the challenges that the sector raised with them at the two indabas, hosted in August and November of 2025. These improvements also maintain the policy consistency and fiscal responsibility, as required by the legislation.
As per Andrews, these amendments ensure that becoming compliant is not a luxury only available to the well-resourced. If they want safer children, better early learning outcomes and more opportunity for working parents and then must continue breaking down the barriers that prevent ECD centres from entering the formal system.
The refinement of the Development Charges Exemption Criteria forms a part of a much broader commitment by the Community Services and health Directorate to strengthen he ECD ecosystem.
This includes the safety audits and classroom aids to help them towards compliance, educational programming, storytelling initiatives and learning resources through the City Libraries and targeted health support from City Health.
The Community, Arts and Culture Development Department works with centres on governance, early learning environments, practitioner development and linkages to social assistance.
Councillor Francine Higham further added that with the launch of this new ECD training handbook, which is shared at workshops across the City of Cape Town, they are giving operators a single, accessible roadmap to navigate the city processes, access support and understand exactly what is required to operate safely and legally.
Higham added that this all is about building a system where ECDs are not left to struggle alone but are backed by a city that walks the compliance journey with them.