Cape Town: The Events Permit Office of the City of Cape Town is experiencing a significant increase in late event permit applications and is reminding organisers that applications submitted outside of prescribed timelines will not be processed.
Reportedly, the Events Permit Office has recorded an increase in the number of late permit applications in each of the last three financial years. The City of Cape Town has noted a growing trend of organisers submitting incomplete or late applications shortly before planned event dates.
The Events Permit Office processes between 1700 and 2000 permit applications annually. The increasing number of delayed submissions has significantly impacted the workload of City employees, leading to extended processing times and potential delays for all applicants.
Additionally, this places pressure on multiple City departments, emergency services and regulatory processes, and ultimately risks public safety and negatively impacts surrounding communities.
While the teams are committed to ensuring public safety and compliance through the permitting process, late applications will not be processed.
The Events By-Law of the City of Cape Town clearly outlines minimum submission timeframes based on event size and risk. These timelines are designed to ensure sufficient planning, coordination and compliance across City services.
For guidance, organisers must submit applications, which includes all required documents and plans within the following minimum timeframes:
- Small events (200 – 2 000 attendees): at least 15 working days before the event
- Medium events (2 001 – 5 000 attendees): at least 20 working days before the event
- Large events (5 001 – 10 000 attendees): at least 25 working days before the event
- Very large events (10 001+ attendees): at least 60 working days, with three – six months preferred
These timelines do not include additional approvals that may be required, such as land use planning approvals, which may require extended lead times. In addition, specific components may require separate minimum timeframes, including:
- Liquor licence applications: minimum 21 working days
- Food vendor approvals and Certificates of Acceptability: minimum 15 working days
- Noise exemption applications: minimum 15 working days
- Land use planning approvals: minimum 60 working days
Late applications limit the ability of the City of Cape Town to properly assess and manage the impact of events on surrounding communities. These require careful coordination across departments to ensure that communities are protected from potential disruption and safety risks.
Cape Town’s events calendar plays a critical role in job creation, tourism growth and economic development. The City’s permit processes ensure events are safe for attendees, minimise disruption to residents and businesses, and will protect public infrastructure.