The City of Cape Town is seeking Council approval to proclaim two new nature reserves in the Western Cape, as part of its ongoing efforts to protect biodiversity and expand conservation areas across the metro.
At a meeting held on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, the City endorsed a proposal by its Spatial Planning and Environment Directorate to establish the two new reserves in the Helderberg area. The proposal also includes plans to expand five existing reserves in and around Cape Town.
Nature Reserve Growth Plans
If Council grants its support, the City will move forward with proclaiming two new reserves, covering a combined 88.2 hectares.
The proposed sites are:
- Paardevlei in Somerset West, measuring 75 hectares
- Schapenberg on the Schapenberg Hills in Somerset West, covering 13.2 hectares
In addition, the City is proposing to add 861.9 hectares to five existing reserves:
- Harmony Flats in Strand, with an additional 0.9 hectares
- Table Bay Nature Reserve in Milnerton, with 0.8 hectares
- Uitkamp Wetland Nature Reserve in Durbanville, with 3.9 hectares
- Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve in Atlantis, with a significant 826.2 hectares
- Wolfgat Nature Reserve in Macassar, with 30.1 hectares
Building Up Biodiversity
According to the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, the expansion of these reserves is vital for safeguarding Cape Town’s unique ecosystems.
He highlighted that many of the reserves are situated close to residential communities, offering accessible spaces where residents can enjoy nature away from urban noise and congestion. Facilities such as hiking trails, bird hides, educational centres and picnic areas make the reserves valuable for recreation, learning and tourism.
Beyond their role as public green spaces, the reserves also serve a strategic purpose. The City uses them to secure conservation worthy land in advance, effectively creating biodiversity offsets. This approach enables future development to proceed without undermining critical ecosystems.
With the Mayoral Committee having endorsed the proposal, the next step is to secure Council approval. Should this be granted, the City will submit the proposals to the Western Cape MEC for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning for gazetting.
Once the gazetting process begins, members of the public will have a 60 day period to submit comments on the proposed proclamations and expansions.
Facebook Comments