Cape Town added 260,000 formal homes in 13 years as densification spreads across the metro
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New City of Cape Town data shows formal dwellings rose from 701,000 in 2012 to 961,000 in 2025, a 37% increase, with the fastest growth in Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and Greater Blue Downs.
Cape Town added about 260,000 formal residential dwellings between 2012 and 2025, according to the City's latest Spatial Trends and Implementation Tracking report, which covers development and land-use patterns from 2012 to 2026. The number of formal dwellings rose from 701,000 in 2012 to 961,000 in 2025, a 37% increase across the metro.
"Densification is observed almost everywhere in the city," the report states, adding that it occurs in different forms and at varying densities in different areas. The biggest percentage increase was recorded in the KMPGBD district, which includes Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Greater Blue Downs and surrounding areas, where formal residential units rose 55%. Helderberg, Blaauwberg and the Northern District also recorded increases of more than 40%, while the Cape Flats, Tygerberg, Southern and Table Bay districts grew between 23% and 30%.
The report identifies specific areas where residential density has increased, including Blue Downs, Mfuleni and Eersteriver as well as parts of Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. In the Northern District it points to Scottsdene, Bloekombos and Wallacedene, and the City also highlights development in Parklands, Sunningdale, Rivergate and Fisantekraal. Districts on the periphery of the city, it adds, continue to exhibit lower-density, sprawling development.
The figures are based on the City's General Valuation Rolls, and properties in those records are classified as formal for the purposes of the report. The City cautions that some areas showing formal densification have also experienced growth in less-formal accommodation, including hostels, boarding houses and blocks of flats, which are counted because they appear in the valuation data. Average dwelling size increased slightly over the period, from 118 square metres to 119 square metres.
The residential growth has come alongside a sharp rise in informal housing. The same period saw informal structures in Cape Town increase by 67%, a trend the City has previously linked to pressure on the metro's housing supply.