Seven new waste interceptors have been installed across Cape Town, following a R2,5 million investment by the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate during the 2025/26 financial year. This brings the total number of litter-trapping systems to 27, aiming to prevent waste from travelling downstream through rivers and waterways and ultimately reaching the ocean.
The interceptors are designed to trap floating litter and debris before it travels further downstream. Each system is tailored to the volumes and types of waste found at its location, supporting efforts to reduce river pollution and protect the natural environment.
The interceptor programme began in the 2024/25 financial year and has since become part of the City’s Mayoral Priority Programme.
Where the seven new waste interceptors have been installed
Eastern region:
- One litter fence in the Soet River along Broadway Boulevard in Strand.
Southern region:
- One grid at Jakkalsvlei (Bridgetown) at the footbridge on Bhunga Avenue.
- One grid at Bokmakierie at 3rd Avenue.
Central region:
- One litter fence in the Black River at Sally Little Golf Course on the M5.
- Two litter grids in Langa, at the Langa Silt Trap
- One litter grid at Milky Way Pond in Joe Slovo.
Regular cleaning and maintenance
The interceptors are cleaned at least twice a week, as well as before and after rainfall events, to ensure that they continue to function effectively.
‘Waste interceptors help us remove litter from our waterways, but addressing the challenges at source to prevent waste from entering our rivers in the first place, remains essential. We appeal to residents to dispose of their waste responsibly.
‘Anyone who witnesses tampering and vandalism of the installations is encouraged to report it, so that we can maintain these systems and protect our natural environment,’ said Alderman Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
Report vandalism
Landline: 107;
Cell phone: 021 480 7700;
Online: www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests
