South Africa: The City of Cape Town Has Valued Your Property - Here's How to Challenge It

By Rebecca Davis

Homeowners in Cape Town should by now have received their updated municipal valuation, which has knock-on effects for multiple aspects of their monthly bills. Here's what to know if you're unhappy with the result.

The average residential property value in Cape Town has increased by 17% over the last three years, according to the City of Cape Town.

This reflects the findings of the latest General Valuation Roll (GVR), published on 20 February, in which the municipality records its estimates of property values for each home as of 1 July 2025. The City uses a Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal (Cama) system to generate "fair and accurate property values", together with methods including "comparative and analytical tools" and "aerial photography".

This 17% increase would be the envy of many property owners in other South African metros.

But in Cape Town, as our previous reporting explored, it can be a double-edged sword for middle-class residents, as the property value is used to determine not only monthly rates, but also fixed municipal charges for water, electricity, sanitation and cleaning.

Daily Maverick's analysis of six sample Cape Town properties chosen at random from readers' submissions shows that the value of these properties increased on average by 16.97%, tallying closely with the City's reported average.

In response to the release of the GVR, however, the Cape Town Collective Ratepayers' Association (CTCRA) said it had received "numerous reports...

Read the full story on Daily Maverick.

Copyright © 2026 Daily Maverick. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.