Tafelberg site redevelopment: A new era for social housing in Sea Point

The controversial Tafelberg site in Sea Point is expected to give birth to social housing, with a proposal of up to 252 units and public comment by 2026, while social development is keen for it to be utilised for older persons.

In February, judgment was reserved in the Constitutional Court following housing activist group Ndifuna Ukwazi’s plight of spatial apartheid against the City, Western Cape Government, the Premier and MEC of Transport and Public Works.

In the same breath, in January, Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers and MEC for Social Development, Jaco Londt, announced the province's proposal to redevelop a portion of 353 Main Road in Sea Point, known as the “Tafelberg site".

Brett Herron, GOOD Party Secretary-General and MPL said various proposals were under way but that enough time had been wasted over the years.

“Where the initial proposals tabled two months ago offered as few as 63 social housing units, the preferred new design could deliver up to 252 social housing units, alongside 139 open market units and 92 affordable housing units. This marks a significant improvement and shows that sustained civic engagement can influence government decisions,” he said.

In response to plans going forward, Simmers office told the Cape Argus that various phases were under way which include draft concepts, designs and public participation by 2026.

“The professional team is currently finalising the draft conceptual design based on stakeholder input, feasibility testing, and various impact assessments and specialist studies including traffic, infrastructure, storm water, visual and heritage assessments, are still under way and inform the development concept as well as the possible number of social housing opportunities on the site. The preferred feasible and viable concept is expected to be released in October 2025,” they said.

“Additional engagements will take place during the statutory application processes, targeted for March 2026, which will include opportunities for public comment.”

Londt's office added the site would be feasible for much-needed older persons and low-income housing.

The Sea Point Fresnaye and Bantry Bay Residents and Ratepayers Association said they supported social and affordable housing.

“However, the SFB is profoundly disappointed that our broader inputs, concerns and suggestions for community benefit in the development of the site have been summarily dismissed," they said.

“In prior public participation meetings, the participants were informed that the school building had been given over to the Provincial Department of Social Development, for their exclusive use. But even worse, the entire Tafelberg site would be fenced off and rendered impenetrable to the Sea Point community and the public in general which begs the question: why invite the community and affected residents to participate in the consultation exercise when the residents and the community will not even be allowed to access the site?”

During an interview with the Atlantic Sun, Nathan Adriaanse, director of the public information and stakeholder relations for DOI said income of social housing, a state-subsidised, rental housing option, targeting low to medium income households ranging from R1850 to R22 000 per month.

The property is over 1.7 hectares in size and has a legacy of forced removals.

Up until June 2010, a portion of it was used as the WCED’s Tafelberg  Remedial School and a portion known as erf 1675 and 1424 was used by the Provincial Department of Human Settlements as affordable state-rental housing known as the Wyngard Mansions site.

The application was prompted following the sale of the site, “ to the highest bidder, the Phyllis Jowell Jewish Day School at the price tag of R135 million in 2015.

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