Great news for WATER supply in Cape Town
· The South African
Cape Town is set to continue securing an estimated 20 billion litres of additional water annually through a renewed partnership aimed at clearing water-hungry invasive alien plants from key catchment areas.
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The City of Cape Town’s Council has approved the continuation of its agreement with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), extending joint efforts to improve water security until 2028/29.
The partnership forms part of the City’s broader New Water Programme, which aims to strengthen the city’s water supply amid climate change and increasingly unpredictable rainfall.
The initiative focuses on removing invasive alien plants that consume rainwater before it can flow into dams supplying Cape Town and surrounding areas.
According to the City, the work is estimated to increase water flowing into the Western Cape Water Supply System by approximately 20 billion litres annually, equivalent to around 55 million litres per day.
Invasive plants threaten water supply
Invasive alien plants can consume significant amounts of water, reducing the volume of rainfall that reaches rivers and dams.
Clearing these plants from strategic mountain catchments helps restore natural water flows while supporting biodiversity and reducing the risk of wildfires.
The City and TNC began working together in 2016. Their collaboration subsequently led to the establishment of the Greater Cape Town Water Fund (GCTWF) in 2018.
The public-private partnership brings together government, businesses, communities and conservation organisations to protect important water source areas.
In August 2026, the City Council resolved to continue the partnership through the 2028/29 period.
More than 1 700 green jobs created
Beyond improving water security, the initiative has also created employment opportunities through environmental restoration work.
The City reports that more than 1 714 green job opportunities have been created through the partnership.
Of these positions, 46% are occupied by women, while 23% are held by young people aged between 18 and 25.
The figures highlight the role of catchment restoration in supporting both environmental protection and local employment.
Part of Cape Town’s long-term water strategy
Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Alderman Zahid Badroodien, said the partnership remained a key component of the City’s efforts to secure its long-term water supply.
He warned that invasive alien plants absorb rainwater before it reaches dams, highlighting the importance of continued clearing operations.
Badroodien said the partnership supports the New Water Programme, which aims to bring an additional 300 million litres of water online.
He also stressed the need to protect existing water resources as rainfall patterns become less predictable.
The continued collaboration with TNC is intended to complement the City’s broader efforts to diversify water supplies and strengthen resilience against future droughts.
By restoring strategic catchments and removing invasive vegetation, Cape Town aims to protect the water resources on which households, businesses and communities depend.
Meanwhile, the latest dam level numbers show that the Western Cape dams are cumulatively at 75.4% of capacity as the warmer summer months fast approach.
At the same time last year, that figure stood at 91.2%.