Growing Informal Settlements in Clanwilliam and Citrusdal Highlight South Africa’s Housing Crisis
Nearly 20% of residents in Clanwilliam and Citrusdal, two towns in South Africa’s Cederberg municipality, are living in informal settlements with limited access to basic services like water, sanitation, and waste removal, according to a 2023 Western Cape socio-economic survey. These communities, expanding rapidly on the outskirts of towns, face severe challenges as the local government struggles to keep up with the growing demand for housing and infrastructure.
The Cederberg municipality’s housing backlog reached 6,355 households last year, representing more than half of the region’s total households. With nearly one in five residents living in makeshift homes, the crisis is stark. Informal settlements like Khayelitsha in Clanwilliam and Riverview in Citrusdal have become symbols of the growing disparity in access to essential services.
In Clanwilliam, known as the heart of South Africa’s rooibos industry, the Khayelitsha settlement has sprawled alongside the Clanwilliam Dam. Families live in Wendy houses and makeshift structures, often lacking electricity and proper sanitation. Karen Zas, a resident, moved to Khayelitsha after she could no longer afford her backyard rental in town. Her husband, a seasonal farmworker, faces unemployment during winter months, leaving the family in precarious circumstances.
Anna April, another resident, highlights electricity as a critical issue. The lack of lighting makes the area unsafe at night, and while the municipality recently installed a block of toilets after years of complaints, the settlement continues to grow.
In Citrusdal at the foot of the Cederberg mountains, the Riverview settlement has expanded dramatically over the past 15 years. Satellite images show its transformation from an open field in 2010 to a densely populated area home to an estimated 4,725 people. Residents like Sipho Khumalo describe sharing communal water points fed by pipes that frequently leak or run dry. Illegal water and electricity connections exacerbate the problem, while waste removal remains sporadic, forcing residents to burn their trash.
Riverview’s location makes it highly vulnerable to flooding. Severe storms in 2023 and 2024 forced evacuations when the Olifants River overflowed, but residents returned to rebuild their lives. Khumalo, who has been on the housing waiting list for 30 years, reflects the frustrations of many.
Janelle Simons, a resident on the edge of Riverview, runs a communal vegetable garden and speaks of the challenges posed by illegal dumping and the smoke from burning waste. Nearby, a smaller settlement called Rastakamp, established by a group of Rastafarians, faces similar issues, including frequent shack fires and conflicts over scarce water resources.
The Cederberg municipality acknowledges the strain caused by “uncontrolled” informal settlement growth. Its 2024/25 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) highlights the lack of resources to meet the demand for housing and services. While funding has been allocated under the Western Cape Government’s Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP), progress remains slow. Plans to build nearly 1,000 houses in Riverview and 436 mixed-income homes on Clanwilliam’s golf course are still in the planning phase, with completion dates uncertain.
The municipality has taken some steps to improve conditions, including building 240 toilets in Khayelitsha and installing skips for waste disposal. However, residents report that these measures are insufficient to meet the growing needs of the population.
A significant development is the ongoing R80-million upgrade of Clanwilliam’s Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation. While this project aims to improve long-term sanitation services, it underscores the urgent need for affordable housing and infrastructure in the region.
As informal settlements continue to grow, residents like Khumalo and Zas remain hopeful but frustrated. Their stories highlight the human toll of South Africa’s housing crisis, a challenge that requires immediate attention and sustainable solutions.
— Reported by Nexio News
