City nod for social housing tee-off at golf club

The City has cleared the fairway for social housing to tee off at the King David Mowbray Golf Club.

On Tuesday last week, the City said the release of portions of the golf club for mixed-use development, including social housing, could go out for public comment. The decision will still need council approval later this month

The King David Mowbray Golf Club leases the 43-hectare golf course, which has a market value of about R171 million.

The club entered into a new 10-year lease, in May, after its long-term lease expired in 2022.

Key to the new agreement, the City said in a statement, was a two-year cancellation clause, giving flexibility while the City planned the required civil engineering.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the property, which is north of the N2, offered prime access to key employment hubs, amenities, and residential areas with parts of the site seen as highly suitable for integrated, mixed-use development.

“Developing portions of King David Mowbray Golf Club represents a transformative opportunity for well-located affordable housing and economic growth in Cape Town. This initiative will also catalyse major municipal infrastructure upgrades in the area and stimulate job creation,” he said.

Approval to start a public participation process was a key step to release the land, he said.

Mayoral committee member for economic growth James Vos said the development rights would be offered to the market through an open and competitive process.

“The City will conduct a comprehensive land-use application to secure a suite of mixed-use development rights, unlocking the full potential of the site,” he said.

The initial phase of redevelopment will focus on two main tracts of land. The first is north of the railway line and bordered by the Pinelands suburb and Elsieskraal canal. The second is not part of the golf course and is bounded by the N2 and Jan Smuts Drive.

Housing activists Ndifuna Ukwazi, who have called for the land’s development since 2019, welcomed the news.

Ndifuna Ukwazi researcher Nick Budlender said it made little sense to have 10 golf courses on well-located public land in the midst of a housing crisis.

“Cape Town desperately needs affordable housing and inclusive densification, and the redevelopment of the golf course should therefore be encouraged and supported. Ndifuna Ukwazi and various land and housing movements have been advocating for the release of various golf courses located on public land since 2018 so that they can be put to better, more rational use as mixed-income housing and public open space,” he said.

It was a great opportunity to convert what was originally intended as a buffer zone between areas catering to different races into an integrated development that genuinely served the public interest, he said.

The King David Mowbray Golf Club was responsible for the estimated R6 million annual maintenance and security cost of the property, aside from the R12 714 (VAT inclusive) per annum golf tariff applicable to all City-owned courses for the 2024/25 financial year, the City said in its statement.

King David Mowbray Golf Club did not respond to questions by deadline.