The City of Cape Town marked World Toilet Day on Wednesday, 19 November, with a visit to the innovative new sanitation system being installed at the OR Tambo Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha. Councillor Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, and Ward 89 Councillor Kayalethu Gxasheka met with the teams behind the project, which aims to expand access to dignified sanitation in high-density informal communities.
World Toilet Day highlights the global reality that billions of people still live without safe, reliable sanitation. For Cape Town, the day reinforces the importance of sustained investment in basic services in informal settlements. In the 2025/2026 financial year, the City has allocated R39.1 million for new taps and toilets, over and above its ongoing service delivery.
Through the Informal Settlements Basic Services (ISBS) branch, the City currently provides more than 10 000 taps and nearly 72 000 toilets to 726 informal settlements. This includes routine maintenance, servicing and cleaning funded by the City. ISBS has already exceeded its first-quarter targets for the current financial year, delivering 161 new taps and 1 157 toilets to communities across Cape Town. This reflects the growing demand in expanding settlements and the City’s commitment to keeping pace.
In addition to conventional sanitation infrastructure, the City is exploring alternative technologies that can address challenges such as limited space, difficult ground conditions and the absence of sewer networks. One of the most promising solutions is the Innovative Sanitation Technology Pilot Project, developed in partnership with the Water Research Commission and the Gates Foundation. This off-grid, self-sustaining sanitation system is specifically designed for informal settlements where traditional sewer connections are not possible.
Councillor Badroodien said the initiative represents more than just infrastructure installation. It is about improving the quality of life for some of Cape Town’s most vulnerable residents through reliable, dignified services. He noted that the OR Tambo community will officially receive the new facility in the coming weeks.
The OR Tambo settlement will be the fourth community to benefit from this high-tech off-grid system. The installation, which began in September 2025, includes 36 full-flush toilets housed in three refurbished shipping containers. Each cubicle is equipped with a wash basin, sanitary bin and accessible options for residents living with disabilities, including wheelchair-friendly ramps.
The facility runs entirely on solar and wind power and uses a modular treatment plant that cleans wastewater to flushing standards, enabling the water to be reused. This removes the need for bulk sewer connections, making it an ideal and sustainable solution for areas with limited infrastructure.
The City hopes that this model will play a growing role in its long-term approach to providing dignified sanitation across informal settlements.
Images accompanying the visit highlight the engineering process, the refurbished units and the teams responsible for bringing this technology to life in Khayelitsha.
