While land is scarce and the need for developing affordable housing is very high, the City must look for alternative sources of revenue, rather than selling off public assets that ultimately belong to all residents of Cape Town.

The forthcoming auction of 50 City of Cape Town-owned pieces of land on 26 February 2026 has created a public furore, attracted significant media attention and is the subject of a number of attempts to prevent it from going ahead. Incidentally, the properties actually total 47, not 50, and add up to about 282,000m² of land (more than 28 hectares or 40 soccer fields).

The City previously auctioned 44 properties on 2 October 2024 (33 of which were zoned for, or suitable for, residential use) and a further 13 on 29 May 2025 (11 zoned for, or suitable, for residential use). That's 107 properties in just 16 months. Heritage concerns were also raised before the October 2024 auction regarding properties in Constantia which a civic association alleged were subject to land claims. The City hasn't publicly released the revenue figures generated from these auctions, but it is likely to be in the billions.

James Vos, the City's mayoral committee member for economic growth, claimed before the 2024 auction that the revenue generated would be used for service delivery, "ensuring lasting benefits for our communities", and that "this approach maximises underused land, driving long-term economic sustainability". He also claimed...