Since 1 April 2026 the restoration programme behind Cape Town's catchment clearing has been backed by the Cape Water Performance-Based Bond: R2.5 billion, or about US$150 million, with investor returns tied to verified restoration. The City counts the clearing of invasive alien plants in its dam catchments as 30 Ml/day of new water supply, about 11 million m3 a year.
Two counts of the hectares
The City reports 60,652 ha cleared in the priority catchments of the Theewaterskloof, Berg River and Wemmershoek dams between April 2019 and June 2025. It adds 9,943 ha at Steenbras and 5,751 ha at Atlantis. The Greater Cape Town Water Fund puts its own total at 41,000 ha against a 54,300 ha target, as of April 2026. The two counts cover different areas and periods. In 2024/25 alone, crews cleared 8,495 ha against a 6,544 ha target, 129% of plan.
Water that is already flowing
Of the 305 Ml/day the New Water Programme should add by December 2036, catchment clearing is one of the few parts already operating. The 40 Ml/day Berg River Voëlvlei scheme is due in May 2030, and the 70 Ml/day desalination plant has slipped to December 2036. Meanwhile, dams supplying the city held 74.4% on 14 October 2026, and demand grew 5% in 2025/26.
The City's share is still pending
The City's next contribution to the water fund, R60 million over 2026/27 to 2028/29 and matched by private funders, was awaiting Council approval in June 2026. Money is tight elsewhere: the City's 10-year water demand strategy is R6.7 billion short of its R14.7 billion cost.
How catchment clearing compares with the City's other supply options, what the bond's structure means for future nature-based finance, and where the funding gaps sit across Cape Town's water plans are questions the report answers. The full report, Cape Town Water Intelligence Report, is available for USD 799 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/cape-town-water-intelligence-report. For a free overview, see https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/cities/cape-town.