The City of Cape Town’s CCTV surveillance expansion is nearing completion, with installations worth nearly R14.4 million already about 85% complete in the current financial year, reports Cape {town} Etc.
The project is being overseen by the City’s Metro Police Strategic Surveillance Unit (SSU), which manages Cape Town’s growing CCTV network and its continued expansion across the metro.
According to the City of Cape Town, the network has now grown to more than 1 200 cameras, strategically positioned in high-crime areas, public spaces and around critical infrastructure.
In the current financial year, new installations, funded by the City’s Safety and Security Directorate and ward allocations, have taken place in areas including:
- Langa
- Beacon Valley
- Brown’s Farm
- Macassar
- Morningstar
- Durbanville
- Electric City
- Malibu Village
City’s MMC for Safety and Security JP Smith said the expansion reflects both the City’s commitment to public safety and ongoing investment in modern technology.
‘I’m incredibly proud of the work being done in this space to expand our CCTV footprint. It speaks to a commitment to public safety, but also sound financial management,’ said Smith.
‘Apart from our efforts to grow Cape Town’s CCTV footprint, we are also retrofitting and upgrading existing infrastructure to make sure that our cameras are on par with current technology. Cape Town’s CCTV journey has been going for more than 25 years and it remains one of the best force multipliers for both enforcement and emergency services.’
City data shows the CCTV system detected 3 078 incidents in January 2026 alone, ranging from by-law transgressions and fires to traffic incidents and suspected criminal activity.
The system has also contributed to 52 arrests, while the South African Police Service (SAPS) requested CCTV assistance in 42 cases, with slightly more than half yielding positive results. Nyanga accounted for more than a quarter of these requests.
‘I am very happy that SAPS is starting to exploit this and other City resources that are geared to enhance public safety,’ Smith added. ‘It has taken a long time to get to this point, and while I’m sure that there is still considerable room for improvement, it is definitely something worth applauding.’
Looking ahead, the City plans to begin work in the next financial year on a long-term CCTV infrastructure project aimed at areas that currently lack fibre connectivity, including:
- The corridor between Khayelitsha and Sir Lowry’s Pass Village
- Parts of the deep south
- Sections of the southern suburbs between Wetton and Rondebosch
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Picture: City of Cape Town
