Municipal Snapshot

The document highlights that while Cape Town's economy is less reliant on water-intense sectors than others, its massive scale makes it the region's primary water user and the area most affected by supply deficits. By 2040, the water deficit in Cape Town could cost approximately R100 billion in GVA and 403,877 jobs annually, representing 29% of the local economy.

• Cape Town is the primary driver of the regional economy and water usage, accounting for 84% of the regional Gross Value Add (GVA) and 85% of all urban water use in the region.
• The Cape Town economy is characterized by a low reliance on water-intensive sectors, with 73% of the economy consisting of low water intense industries, which provides the city with a higher capacity to absorb economic shocks caused by water constraints.
• Water supply deficits in Cape Town are projected to increase significantly, from an estimated 16.6 million m3 per annum by 2025 to approximately 113.3 million m3 per year by 2040, making it the largest deficit in the region.
• The economic consequences of the projected 2040 water deficit for Cape Town are severe, potentially costing ~R100 billion in GVA and 403,877 jobs per year, which is 29% of the current local economy.
• To mitigate the high socio-economic costs of water constraints, there is an urgent need to implement groundwater augmentation, water reuse, and desalination projects.

APA

GreenCape (2018). Municipal Snapshot. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/CAPE-TOWN-SNAPSHOT-5.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Municipal Snapshot. 2018. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/CAPE-TOWN-SNAPSHOT-5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Municipal Snapshot |date=April 2018 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/CAPE-TOWN-SNAPSHOT-5.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2018municipal, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Municipal Snapshot}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2018}, month = apr, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/CAPE-TOWN-SNAPSHOT-5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }