Cape Town: The Water and Sanitation Department of the City of Cape Town celebrated World Toilet Day on November 19, 2025. Marking the day, Councillor Zahid Badroodien and Councilllor Kayalethu Gxasheka for Ward-89 visited the innovative sanitation solution which is being installed at OR Tambo Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha to enhance their dignity in informal settlements.
The World Toilet Day is observed each year and brings 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 Water and Sanitation Directorate of the City of Cape Town invests in providing taps and toilets in informal settlements. This financial year 2025-26 R39.1 million budget has been set for new taps and toilets in addition to services already provided.
Through the Informal Settlements Basic Services (ISBS) of the Directorate, the City has currently provided 10,188 taps and 71,909 toilets to 726 informal settlements across the city. This includes regular maintenance and cleaning which is funded by the City.
The ISBS has exceeded its target for the first quarter of the 2025-26 financial year by delivering 161 new taps and 1157 toilets to households in informal settlements across the Cape Town. This strong performance demonstrates their commitment to meet service demand in growing informal settlements.
In addition to the conventional options, the City of Cape Town 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.
Councillor Zahid Badroodien, as MMC for Water and Sanitation said that the service delivery to informal settlements is more than just the provision of dignified and basic infrastructure. The hard work is being done by the Informal Settlement and Basic Services branch to maintain these facilities, that 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, was started in September 2025 and 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. It 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.