More than 14 tonnes of litter have been removed from Cape Town’s Soet River through a community partnership combining restoration, education and local environmental action efforts.
Local non-profit organisation Making a Change carried out mechanical and manual clean-ups along the Soet River in Helderberg between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2026, supported by grant funding from the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate.
The project went beyond removing visible waste from the river.
Teams sorted and removed litter, rehabilitated a blocked culvert to improve water flow and combined the physical restoration work with environmental education aimed at addressing some of the behaviour contributing to pollution.
Around 80 volunteers participated in three clean-up initiatives, assisting with litter collection, sorting, site support and specialised work to restore the culvert.
The project demonstrates how community organisations can supplement municipal environmental programmes by mobilising residents around waterways that form part of their own neighbourhoods.
Making a Change is based in the Helderberg, giving the organisation and its team a direct connection to the river and surrounding communities.
Dean van Schalkwyk from Making a Change said the condition of the Soet River had been visible to team members for years.
“For us, the Soet River project is deeply personal. The Making a Change team is from the Helderberg, and this river runs through the community we call home,” Van Schalkwyk said.
“Many of us have driven past it for years and watched the pollution build up, so being able to take part in restoring it meant much more than simply completing a project.”
The organisation previously mobilised nearly 50 volunteers during an April clean-up that removed approximately 10 tonnes of litter in six hours and filled around 330 bags with waste.
The broader programme has also focused on changing attitudes towards litter and the long-term health of the river.
Documentary-style videos were produced as part of the project to raise awareness about river pollution, responsible waste disposal and the role communities can play in protecting local waterways.
Residents living along the Soet River and in surrounding communities were also engaged through environmental discussions and awareness activities.
The project forms part of a wider City initiative supporting community-led responses to water pollution.
Making a Change was among 22 community organisations awarded funding through the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate partnership programme, which allocated R3.5 million to locally driven environmental projects across Cape Town.
The programme focuses on using community organisations to complement municipal operations in pollution hotspots while strengthening local participation in the management of rivers and waterways.
The Western Cape Economic Development Partnership has also been working with the City on a community partnering framework intended to strengthen relationships between municipal departments and community organisations involved in water and sanitation projects.
City Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien said partnerships with community organisations help extend environmental action beyond municipal interventions.
“We value the contribution of organisations and residents who are willing to get involved and make a difference in their communities,” Badroodien said.
“These partnerships complement the City’s work and help build greater awareness of the importance of keeping our waterways clean and protecting them for future generations.”
The removal of more than 14 tonnes of litter provides a measurable result, but the longer-term impact will depend on whether less waste continues entering the river.
Community education, responsible disposal, regular maintenance and local involvement therefore remain important alongside large-scale clean-up operations.
For Making a Change, restoring the Soet River has demonstrated what can happen when residents, volunteers, non-profit organisations and municipal structures work around a shared environmental challenge.
The result is not only a cleaner waterway, but a stronger model for communities to participate directly in protecting the natural spaces on which their neighbourhoods depend.
