By optimising the efficiencies of the City of Cape Town’s new Wayleave Management System, the Transport Planning and Network Management Department (TPNM) has reduced its approval process for wayleaves from a 25-day average to only six days per application. The Wayleave Management System, launched in 2024, replaced an archaic paper-based process with a fast, fully digital platform for approving development and maintenance works on public and private property.
The success the City’s Transport Planning and Network Management (TPNM) department has had with the implementation of this new system is a shining example of how the City is delivering on its commitment of ease of doing business when dealing with the municipality. Through the digital Wayleave Management System, this compact team within TPNM handles more than 150 applications per month.
• It used to take an average of 25 days to process Wayleave applications. But with the new digital system, the processing time has been reduced to an average of six days.
With the significant improvement in approval time (nearly a 75% reduction), projects can commence sooner, and this means reduced costs. The performance data for the last quarter reflects that the TPNM department has received 482 applications from 1 January to 31 March, 2026 of which 428 were processed within an average of six days.
‘Our new wayleave management system exemplifies the City’s commitment to streamlining processes and delivering excellence. Through smarter workflows, better coordination and the effective use of digital systems provided by the Wayleave Centre, our teams have managed to transform what was once a time-intensive process into a more responsive and reliable service,’ said Gareth Morgan, Executive Director of Future Planning and Resilience.
‘What makes this achievement particularly noteworthy is the consistency of progress. Quarter by quarter, the team has shortened review timelines while maintaining the stringent checks required to safeguard critical infrastructure. Wayleave approvals are essential controls that prevent construction activities from compromising existing services. The impact of the improved approval times has been substantial, as every day saved in the approval process reduces downtime on construction sites and accelerates economic activity. This sort of innovation and teamwork demonstrates that government systems can evolve to meet the needs of a growing city,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.
The City’s Wayleave Centre will continue to play a pivotal role in sustaining this momentum by providing ongoing support, refining processes, and driving standardisation to ensure that these gains are not isolated, but consistently realised across the organisation.
