A total of 53 properties, including the Good Hope Centre precinct, were offered for sale and leasing via public auction on Thursday, 26 February 2026.
A number of offers were received across all categories, including the Good Hope Centre. These bids are now subject to the post-auction review that the City must follow as part of the due legislative processes.
All qualifying bids received will in due course be presented to the Immovable Property Adjudication Committee and, where applicable, Council for a final approval. This means the results of the auction, including the accepted offers and winning bidders, will be confirmed at a later stage once due legislative processes have been concluded.
About the auction
All properties identified for auction were thoroughly assessed and confirmed as not required for municipal purposes.
Not only will the released sites create residential opportunities across many lower and middle-income communities, but they will also unlock a wide range of various commercial and industrial developments. The auction attracted strong interest across residential, commercial, and industrial sites.
The City received bids for all 28 residential zoned properties on offer, located in various areas, including Mitchells Plain, Maitland, Goodwood, Kraaifontein, Somerset West and Durbanville.
Commercial and industrial opportunities were similarly well received, with bids submitted for all such sites across areas, including Atlantis, Mitchell’s Plain, Delft and Parow. These properties are set to be the catalysts for economic activity, stimulating private sector investment and driving the creation of employment opportunities throughout Cape Town.
‘Making land available for private sector development sets the standard for how we will put our properties to productive, purposeful use. To ensure full transparency, bidders compete via a public auction. This major land release initiative complements the broader pipeline of land release successfully delivered over the past several years
'We thank bidders for their responses to these auction opportunities and now due legislative processes need to be followed to finalise the results,’ said Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.
Benefits for Cape Town residents
‘The revenue generated from the sale or lease of these properties will be reinvested directly into service delivery across Cape Town. That is an important and immediate benefit for residents.
‘However, the value of these transactions should not be measured only in terms of the once-off revenue received. The bigger picture is the long-term economic impact. When vacant or underutilised land is released for development, it begins generating ongoing rates revenue, economic activity, and jobs over time, something an empty plot simply cannot do.
‘We must also consider the benefit to host communities. Development brings construction activity in the short term, and in the longer term, it creates permanent opportunities, whether residential, commercial, mixed-use, or social-purpose developments. An empty site risks deterioration, stagnation and other social ills. A productive site contributes to the surrounding communities, stimulates small businesses, and strengthens the local economy.
‘The Good Hope Centre is a prime example. Our goal is not just a transaction, but the revitalisation of a key civic and economic asset. The site has enormous potential to re-establish a renewed events space, complemented by mixed-use development that brings investment, activity, and jobs. Heritage elements — including the iconic dome — are protected through stringent conditions of sale and ongoing City oversight.
‘Ultimately, our approach is about ensuring that public assets work for the public, delivering value now through service delivery funding, and into the future through sustained rates revenue, job creation, and broader economic growth,’ said Alderman Vos.
Good Hope Centre set for major upgrade
The City reiterates that the property was made available through an open, transparent, and competitive public process.
Once auction results are finalised, any development on the Good Hope Centre precinct will be subject to the City’s full planning and land use framework. This includes compliance with all the applicable zoning provisions, development parameters, and - where required - public participation processes.
In addition, the successful bidder will be required to comply with the Phase 1 Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) guidelines, as the Heritage Western Cape (HWC) Record of Decision (RoD) forms part of the sale conditions. This ensures that any future development must adhere to strict heritage protection requirements, including the identification, conservation, and mitigation of heritage resources both on-site and within the broader precinct.
These heritage conditions play a critical role in safeguarding the cultural, architectural, and historical significance of the Good Hope Centre, while also enabling responsible investment. The City remains committed to ensuring that the intended outcomes for the site remain aligned with our broader economic, spatial and cultural objectives - balancing adaptive re use, development potential, and heritage protection.
The public can therefore expect a transparent, rigorously regulated process that prioritises both the strategic value of the site and its important heritage character.
Lawful and transparent land release process
‘We welcome the High Court’s dismissal of several applications which aimed to block land release that will unlock economic and social value for Capetonians.
'We’ve said from the start that our land release process is lawful and transparent, and we are glad that the court has seen through these meritless applications.
'We firmly believe that the City’s land portfolio - rather than just sit idle - must drive economic growth across Cape Town. These properties are not being lost to Capetonians - instead, they will now realise their full economic and social potential through private investment to the benefit of residents.
‘The Good Hope Centre, in particular, has a positive future through renewed events activity and mixed use development opportunities that limited state funding alone could never unlock,’ said Alderman Vos.
The auction was overseen by the City appointed service provider, Claremart Group, in full compliance with all legislative and governance requirements.
