Future growth of Masi township beyond Lochiel Road in Cape Town’s deep south

The City of Cape Town has come under scrutiny over its growing use of consultants. According to a recent report, the City, under the leadership of Hill-Lewis, spent just over R1 billion on consultants and contracted services during the 2025 financial year.

Against this backdrop, questions are being asked about the long running planning process for Masi and the surrounding areas. The Local Spatial Development Framework for the area has been under discussion for more than a decade. The City says the framework is needed to address overcrowding, pressure on services, environmental concerns, and continued population growth.

One of the most controversial proposals involved moving families living in the wetlands informal settlement to the Lochiel Road smallholdings area. The City believed this would allow for the construction of the planned Houmoed Avenue extension. However, this proposal received strong opposition from residents, many of whom argued that the smallholdings should be protected and that other sites should be considered instead.

According to one source, some members of Masi argue that the Lochiel Road smallholdings area is too small to accommodate future growth. During public discussions, larger sites such as Kompanjiestuin Farm and the Noordhoek sports fields have been suggested as possible alternatives, although the City has not formally proposed these sites for development.

The public response to the draft plan was significant. More than 300 people attended a public meeting and at least 1,400 formal comments were submitted. A petition with more than 700 signatures objected to the proposal to relocate households to the Lochiel Road area. Many residents also raised concerns that important information in the plan, such as population figures and housing needs, is outdated.

As a result of these objections, the City now says in a report that it will reconsider some of its key proposals. It plans to appoint an independent facilitator, who will be paid who knows how much from the City’s budget to work with local communities and other stakeholders to find a way forward. The City will also update information on the number of households living in Masi, especially in the informal settlement areas.

As of the writing of this article the City has not indicated how many new homes will eventually be built. Instead, the City says further investigations are needed to determine where future low-income housing should be located. The planning process is expected to continue through 2026 and into 2027 before a revised development framework is completed.

One practical solution, which the City seems to be avoiding, is to assess how many people are illegally living in Masi. Doing this could very well create space in Masi, which would allow for the building of the planned Houmoed Avenue extension and formal housing developments. My guess is that the City, in its hubris, will ignore this and instead put more pressure on the middle class of Cape Town.

What the residents of Capri, Noordhoek, Kommetjie, Imhoff’s Gift, Lochiel, Faerie Knowe, and other surrounding areas need to do is organise into one responsible block of residents through a civic organisation and instruct the City of Cape Town on the best way forward.

If you are interested in joining such a group, please get in touch with the Sunnydale Rate Payers here:

[email protected]