Cape Town's Bellville Athletics Track redevelopment: a public-private partnership under scrutiny
Impressions and cross-sections of the upgraded Velodrome event venue
Image: City of Cape Town
The City of Cape Town’s proposed redevelopment of the Bellville Athletics Track and Velodrome is drawing both financial interest and political scrutiny, particularly around the cost structure and governance of the deal.
At the centre of the proposal is a long-term public-private partnership designed to shift significant capital and operational costs away from the cCty. The Mayoral Committee has approved the transaction, which will now serve before Council, with the successful bidder from a 2009 tender set to lease the site for 50 years, with an option to extend for a further 10 years.
The developer is expected to invest hundreds of millions of rand into the upgrade of the athletics track and the redevelopment of the velodrome into a multi-purpose indoor arena.
The facility is planned to accommodate between 14 000 and 18 000 spectators and will be positioned to host large-scale events. In addition to the infrastructure upgrades, the developer will purchase surrounding vacant land within the 11.47-hectare precinct for mixed-use development, including retail, commercial and residential components.
According to the City, this financial model allows for the upgrading of key public infrastructure without placing additional strain on municipal budgets.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the scale of investment required would not have been feasible through public funding alone, noting that the arrangement also transfers long-term maintenance and operational costs to the private sector.
Revenue generated from the lease and land sales is expected to be redirected into other sports facilities across Cape Town.
The City has already invested more than R60 million into upgrades at Wesfleur Sports Ground and Blue Downs Stadium.
Further planned expenditure includes approximately R60 million for upgrades at Jan Burger Sports Complex, an estimated R80 million for a phased multi-purpose centre, and R20 million earmarked for upgrades at Vygieskraal Stadium in the 2026/27 financial year.
The Bellville project also forms part of a broader infrastructure strategy following a 2021 athletics study, which identified the need to upgrade multiple regional recreational hubs and expand access to sports facilities.
Under the terms of the agreement, the City will retain ownership of the athletics track and velodrome, while public access to the athletics facilities will remain in place. The developer will be responsible for operating and maintaining the upgraded facilities for the duration of the lease.
The project follows a lengthy legal and administrative process. The original tender was awarded in 2009, but subsequent sale and lease agreements were later set aside following arbitration linked to challenges during the Covid-19 period.
The City has since re-engaged with the original bidder to revise and update the agreements in line with current legal, regulatory and market conditions.
The updated contracts now before Council include technical amendments while maintaining compliance with Municipal Asset Transfer Regulations and supply chain management requirements.
The proposal has, however, drawn criticism from GOOD Party councillor Wesley Neuman, who has raised concerns about both the financial and governance aspects of the transaction.
Neuman said the redevelopment represents “a betrayal of the highest order towards the cycling community and the residents of this city,” and criticised the City’s handling of the velodrome as a public asset.
He also questioned the legal basis of reviving elements of the 2009 agreement, stating that aspects such as a “no escalation” clause appear to have been reintroduced despite previous legal findings.
“As GOOD, we will investigate the legality and whether this complies with administrative justice, constitutional principles, and lawful governance,” Neuman said.
Additional concerns raised relate to the process followed in approving the transaction.
Neuman stated that there had been a lack of meaningful public participation and that the matter was not adequately processed through the relevant Portfolio Committee, limiting opportunities for oversight.
The future use of the velodrome remains a key point of discussion.
While the City has indicated that the facility will form part of the upgraded precinct, Neuman argued that repurposing it as a multi-use events venue changes its original function.
“The narrative that the velodrome is being ‘retained’ is deliberately misleading. You cannot claim to save a facility while simultaneously stripping it of its core function and international standard,” he said.
The Bellville Velodrome is recognised as the only Olympic-standard velodrome on the African continent and has historically supported competitive cycling.
The City maintains that the redevelopment will enhance the overall value of the precinct, support economic activity, and generate revenue that can be reinvested into community sports infrastructure.
Council is expected to consider the proposal in the next stage of the approval process.