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Townships

Les townships du Cap abritent 1,8 million de personnes, soit 36% de la métropole. Découvrez comment la planification de l'apartheid les a façonnés, et les entreprises que la plupart des touristes ne voient jamais.

1.8M

Township residents

36%

Of metro population

444,000

Informal dwellings

22 km

Avg. commute to CBD

35%

Youth unemployment

  Townships are not footnotes to Cape Town. They are where a third of the city lives. Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Gugulethu, Langa, Nyanga, and Philippi house roughly 1.8 million people. These communities were created by apartheid-era forced removals and the Group Areas Act. Three decades after democracy, the spatial legacy persists: long commutes, strained infrastructure, and service delivery gaps. But townships are also centres of entrepreneurship, cultural production, and community resilience that the tourist corridor rarely sees.

Khayelitsha seul est plus grand que la plupart des villes européennes

Les six plus grands townships du Cap abritent plus de 1,3 million de personnes. Khayelitsha, établi en 1985 comme l'un des derniers sites de relocalisation de l'ère de l'apartheid, est de loin le plus grand. Mitchells Plain, à prédominance Coloured, a été construit dans les années 1970 sous le Group Areas Act. Les deux communautés ont grandi continuellement grâce à la migration interne.

Largest townships by estimated population

Khayelitsha

440,000

Mitchells Plain

310,000

Nyanga

180,000

Gugulethu

110,000

Philippi

200,000

Langa

78,000

StatsSA Census 2022 sub-place estimates. Boundaries overlap with informal settlements.

Key takeaway. Khayelitsha alone has more residents than many European cities. It was established in 1985 as one of the last apartheid-era relocation sites and has grown continuously since.

L'eau et l'électricité atteignent la plupart des foyers. Internet et le logement, non.

Les services de base se sont considérablement étendus depuis 1994. L'eau courante atteint 89% des ménages des townships, l'électricité 85%. Les lacunes concernent la qualité du logement (36% vivent dans des structures informelles), l'assainissement dans les zones informelles et la connectivité numérique. L'accès à internet à 41% est la fracture la plus marquée : il exclut les résidents des marchés de l'emploi en ligne, des plateformes éducatives et des services gouvernementaux.

Service delivery in township areas vs metro average

Piped water

89%

Flush toilet

78%

Electricity

85%

Refuse removal

72%

Formal dwelling

64%

Internet access

41%

Township areas only. Metro average for piped water is 97%, electricity 93%, internet 68%.

Key takeaway. Basic services (water, electricity) reach most township households. The gaps are in housing quality (36% live in informal structures), sanitation, and connectivity. Internet access at 41% is the single biggest barrier to economic participation.

300 000 emplois hors de l'économie formelle

L'économie informelle coexiste avec l'économie formelle et dessert des communautés où les commerces et services formels sont rares. Les spazas, les vendeurs de nourriture de rue, les salons de coiffure et les équipes de construction forment le cœur du commerce des townships. À lui seul, le secteur des taxis-minibus emploie des dizaines de milliers de personnes et transporte chaque jour 12% des navetteurs de la ville.

Informal sector employment share

Retail (spaza shops)

38%

Construction

22%

Domestic work

18%

Transport (minibus)

12%

Other services

10%

Estimated share of informal employment by sector in Cape Town townships.

Key takeaway. Spaza shops (informal convenience stores) are the backbone of township retail, serving communities where formal supermarkets are scarce. The informal economy employs an estimated 300,000 people in the metro, most of them in townships.

Données mises à jour : 2026-04-12

Frequently asked questions

What is a township?

Townships are residential areas that were designated for non-white residents under apartheid. They are typically located on the urban periphery, far from economic centres. Post-1994, these communities have grown through informal settlement as people migrate to cities for work. The term carries historical weight but is used matter-of-factly in daily South African conversation.

Is it safe to visit a township?

Organised township tours with reputable operators are generally safe and widely recommended. Independent exploration requires caution, local knowledge, and ideally a local guide. Crime rates in townships are higher than in suburban areas, but the risk is context-dependent. Approach with respect and awareness, not fear.

What is a spaza shop?

A spaza shop is an informal convenience store, often run from a house or shipping container. They sell essentials (bread, airtime, paraffin, snacks) and serve as the primary retail infrastructure in areas without supermarkets. There are an estimated 100,000 spaza shops nationally. They are a lifeline and a source of entrepreneurship.

Why are townships still segregated?

Apartheid ended in 1994, but the spatial legacy endures because of economics: land near the CBD is expensive, public transport is inadequate, and low-cost housing is built where land is cheap (the periphery). Internal migration adds population pressure. Breaking this pattern requires sustained investment in transport, mixed-income housing, and economic decentralisation.

Population & Housing

• Statistics South Africa, "Census 2022: Sub-Place Data for City of Cape Town" (2023)
• City of Cape Town, "Human Settlements Directorate Annual Report" (2024)

Infrastructure & Services

• Statistics South Africa, "General Household Survey 2023" (2024)
• Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), "Informal Settlement Upgrading in South Africa" (2023)

Informal Economy

• Western Cape Government, "Township Economy Research" (2023)