Cape Town: Member of the Mayoral Committee for Corporate Services – Alderman Theresa Uys and Corporate Services Executive Director – Ernest Sass met with Finnish programme partners and technical experts on Friday, May 29, 2026 to strengthen collaboration and reflect on progress made through an innovative ‘Digital Twin’ initiative. This aimed at improving the management of public buildings and facilities.
Reportedly, the initiative formed part of the Finnish Digital and Green Transition (FDGT) programme which is funded by Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management.
Considering this, Alderman Theresa Uys stated that Facilities Management plays a central role in the City of Cape Town’s Digital Twin initiative by providing the operational knowledge, asset data and day-to-day building management expertise, needed to create accurate digital representations of municipal facilities.
As the City, they have made a clear commitment to become a data-driven, evidence-based organisation that uses technology to enhance service delivery and strengthen long-term planning. Through this Digital Twin initiative, they have developed a strategic framework, implemented a practical pilot project, strengthened internal skills and created a roadmap to scale this work across the facilities portfolio.
Through Digital Twin technology, which is a live digital copy of a real building, the City of Cape Town’s Facilities Management teams are able to integrate maintenance records, building systems, space usage information and real-time operational data into a single digital platform. This enables smarter maintenance planning, faster fault detection, improved energy efficiency, better use of public assets and more informed long-term decision-making.
The City of Cape Town’s Corporate Services Directorate manages a portfolio of City facilities, which includes 159 City buildings, 120 clinics, 102 libraries, 38 Early Childhood Development Centres, 31 fire stations, 19 Metro Police offices, 31 traffic centres, 54 Law Enforcement offices, as well as 11 municipal courts.
The City of Cape Town selected the Bellville Civic Centre as the pilot site for its Digital Twin initiative due to the facility’s diverse customer-facing and administrative functions. Phase-1 of the project was completed in December 2025, with Phase-2 successfully concluded in May 2026. Building on the project’s success, the City plans to further expand its Digital Twin strategy, having already realised significant benefits in the Facilities Management environment.