The City of Cape Town will propose a 10,2% lowering of the rate-in-rand for residential properties following the General Valuation 2025. Cape Town’s rate-in-rand – the formula used to calculate property rates – is already the lowest in South Africa across all rates categories, but is set to lower further after healthy property value growth in the latest valuation. The City’s indicative residential rate-in-rand is 0,006428 (down from 0,007159) pending draft budget finalisation.

The GV Roll and all information, including on the inspection venues, will be available on www.capetown.gov.za from 20 February 2026. Read more below:

The lower rate-in-rand is among several proposed measures to help keep property rates increases to a minimum for most homeowners despite strong asset value growth for property owners in Cape Town.

Other proposed measures in the forthcoming draft Budget 2026/27 include raising the ‘rates-free benefit’ to the first R500 000 of property value (up from R450 000), and extending this benefit to all properties up to R8m (up from R7m).

These planned measures ensure that 60% of residential properties will experience either a rates decrease, or no change in rates, even though their property value has risen.

‘The proposed 10,2% rate-in-rand decrease and extended rates benefits to more middle-class homes will shield the large majority of ratepayers – over 60% of all homes – with very low rates increases despite their property asset showing strong value growth, also increasing their family’s net worth.

‘Cape Town is South Africa’s one city that works, offering the best services, SA-record infrastructure investments, the chance for your property assets and personal wealth to grow in value no matter who you are, and the lowest total monthly bills of SA’s metros, even when taking higher property values into account. This is the difference compared to other cities, where property values are declining even as rates rise and services sadly collapse,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The City will further deliver a balanced budget while keeping tariff increases to the minimum level needed to avoid severe service delivery cuts. Indigent relief thresholds will be raised, while property value bands for fixed charges will be altered to mitigate the number of properties moving between bands as far as possible.

More details will follow when the 26/27 budget draft is tabled in City Council on 26 March and when the full public participation process commences.

The GV2025 public inspection and objection period is prescribed in terms of the Municipal Property Rates Act and is scheduled for 20 February 2026 until 30 April 2026.

All information will be on the City’s website from 20 February 2026.

General Valuation 2025 at a glance

• The overall value of rated properties in Cape Town across all categories increased by 16,65% between GV2022 and GV2025, from R1,85 trillion to R2,158 trillion.
• For residential properties in particular, the total rated value of all properties increased by 17,1%from R1,396 trillion to R1,634 trillion.
• The median rates increase for properties under R3m ranges from R3 to R27 per month, with roughly a 0 – 2,5% rates increase for properties in the R1m-R3m range.
• Even in the worst case, 90% of properties under R3m will avoid a rates increase in excess of around R100 resulting from the valuation.
• The median rates increase ranges roughly from R27 – R200 monthly for properties valued R3m-R6m (2,5 – 6% increase), and from R200 – R350 monthly for properties valued R6m-R10m.

Cape Town’s residential Rate-in-Rand by far the lowest of SA’s metros

Cape Town’s indicative 2026/27 Rate-in-Rand is by far the lowest of SA’s metros, even before the other cities apply their annual increases for next year.

Residential Rate-in-rand for the ‘Big Five’ metros:

1. Cape Town 26/27 (indicative) – 0,006428
2. Johannesburg 25/26 – 0,009545
3. Tshwane 25/26 – 0,010117
4. Ekurhuleni 25/26 – 0,011520
5. eThekwini 25/26 – 0,014254

‘Cape Town’s vastly lower rate-in-rand shows that it generally costs less to own a property asset here than it does anywhere else. This asset can also be expected to grow in value over time, increasing the net worth of families and personal wealth of ratepayers across the income and property value spectrum.

‘The next metro – Joburg – has a 48,5% higher rate-in-rand before even applying their increase for next year. This means that – even with higher property values in Cape Town – you’re still likely to pay less here, while living in a city that works. Also, the higher your property value, the bigger your saving will be in Cape Town compared to property rates elsewhere for an asset of the same value, due to the big differences in the rate-in-rand,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis

See your Valuation and indicative Rates change

The City’s 2025 General Valuation Roll (GV2025) is available for public inspection on www.capetown.gov.za from 20 February 2026.

Click on the GV2025 website trending box to obtain more information on the market-related valuation of your property as at 1 July 2025 and to access an indicative interim rates calculator.

The final rate-in-the-rand will only be determined in May 2026 when the Annual Budget, tariffs and rates are approved by Council after public participation.

The City subjects the Valuation Roll to extensive data verification and statistical accuracy checks, as well as an extensive external assurance or audit review – the only municipality in South Africa that does this, as far as can be established.

How to inspect the roll and to object

• Should property owners wish to dispute valuations believed not to reflect the market value accurately as at 1 July 2025, an objection may be submitted from 20 February until 30 April 2026 on the legislated objection form that can be found on the City’s website; via e-Services and via the emailed objection form. Ratepayers may also obtain the relevant documents in person at any inspection venue.
• Objections must be motivated and supported with market-related information at the valuation date of 1 July 2025. The City supplies verified and valid sales information on the website for use by our property owners.
• No late objections will be considered.

The GV2025 Roll is open for inspection and objection during the following dates:

In-person: 20 February 2026 until 31 March 2026

In-person at 20 venues across the city. Visit www.capetown.gov.za for more information from 20 February 2026.

Online option 1: 20 February 2026 until 30 April 2026

Online, via the City’s e-services portal. Please note that one must be registered on e-Services to be able to object online via e-Services and there is a short registration period before the function becomes active.

Online option 2: 20 February 2026 until 30 April 2026

Objections may also be submitted via email by downloading the objection form against the selected property as it appears on the GV2025 Roll from the City’s website.

Although the prescribed period is 30 days, the City provides double the time prescribed time for ratepayers to submit objections.