City of Cape Town plans to add 1 000 hectares of new nature reserves
Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, opened the to be proclaimed Schapenberg Nature Reserve on the western side of the Schapenberg Hills in Somerset West on 25 September 2025. From left to right are Reginal Booysen and Louis van Wyk from the City’s Environmental Management Department (EMD), Councillor Norman McFarlane, Alderman Andrews, Lewine Walters from EMD, and Carla Wood, Chairperson of the Helderberg Nature Reserve Protected Area Advisory Committee.
Image: Supplied
The City of Cape Town will seek Council approval to proclaim two new nature reserves in the Helderberg area and expand five existing reserves across the metro, potentially adding 950,1 hectares to land under formal protection.
The proposal was endorsed by the City’s Mayoral Committee on Tuesday and will now be tabled before Council for consideration.
If approved, the plan will see the proclamation of Schapenberg Nature Reserve on the Schapenberg Hills in Somerset West, measuring 13,2 hectares, and Paardevlei Nature Reserve in Somerset West, measuring 75 hectares. Together, the two new reserves will add 88,2 hectares to the City’s conservation footprint.
In addition, the City is seeking approval to expand five existing reserves by a combined 861,9 hectares. Harmony Flats Nature Reserve in Strand would grow by 0,9 hectares, Table Bay Nature Reserve in Milnerton by 0,8 hectares, Uitkamp Wetland Nature Reserve in Durbanville by 3,9 hectares, Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve in Atlantis by 826,2 hectares, and Wolfgat Nature Reserve in Macassar by 30,1 hectares.
City Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, said the reserves played a critical role in conserving Cape Town’s biodiversity and ecosystems.
“Our nature reserves play a critical role in the conservation of our unique biodiversity and ecosystems. Most of these reserves are located in close proximity to communities and are a haven for residents where they can spend time in nature, away from roads, buildings, traffic, and noise,” he said.
He added that the reserves offer hikes, bird hides, educational centres and picnic spots, while also serving a strategic planning purpose.
“But apart from providing a place of wellbeing, recreation, education, and tourism, we also use the reserves for the pro-active land banking of conservation worthy areas. By securing these biodiversity offsets we can facilitate future development without compromising our biodiversity,” Andrews said.
Once Council approval is obtained, the City will submit the proposed proclamations to the Western Cape MEC for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning for gazetting. The process will include a notice of intent to proclaim the reserves and a 60-day public participation period during which residents will be able to submit comments.
The City launched Schapenberg Nature Reserve in September last year and has already begun clearing alien vegetation to mitigate fire risk.