The City would like to advise visitors and locals that the upgrade of the Muizenberg beachfront is making great progress. About 15% of the concrete precast units for the new promenade walkway has been placed already by using a large crane that is operating from Surfer’s Corner. By next week, the contractor will start with the dismantling of the four beach huts on the western side of the beachfront. The huts on the eastern side will be dismantled by mid-year, as the project progresses to that section. In the meantime, we are thanking the community and visitors for their ongoing support and patience. Read more below:
The refurbishment of the Muizenberg beachfront entails replacing the aged seawalls and major upgrades to public amenities. The project commenced in February 2025, and all is on track to complete the works by December 2026.
The contractor has placed about 15% of the precast step and promenade units, which will provide coastal protection while also providing beach access at varied levels. Most of the steps will be below beach level and invisible to visitors as it will be buried under sand under normal conditions.
Relatively large sections of the beachfront are currently fenced off in the interest of public safety and security while excavations are ongoing. Artisan steel formwork has been installed on site by hand to create the curved design for the stepped revetment at Surfer’s Corner to ensure a quality finish.
‘I’m happy to report that the construction of the connection to the St James Walkway is now complete, and so is the new NGO building that Waves for Change will occupy. However, access to the St James Walkway will be open to the public only once the western parking precinct next to the railway line has been completed. We will make a public announcement when we reach this milestone.
‘The old ablution building was demolished in January and currently, we are busy placing the precast concrete units that form the stepped revetment and promenade walkway. This work is ongoing on the western side of the beachfront, and visitors will see the huge crane operating in this area. I want to put residents at ease by mentioning that once this project is complete, most of the steps will be covered by sand. Thus, what will be visible to the naked eye once the project is complete will look a lot different than what is currently the case.
‘We are making use of the good weather as much as we can before the rainy season kicks in. I want to thank the public for their patience and ongoing support and want to reiterate that the sections on the beach that are not fenced off remain open for recreation, as well as the surf,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
Residents are encouraged to attend a complimentary community event at the beachfront on Saturday, 14 March 2026, starting from 07:30. This is a family-friendly event with a beach clean-up session, and ocean inspired Elevate guided movement and dance session with headphones on the beach. Children are welcome. Limited headphones are available for the Elevate session so book early to avoid missing out.
Reserve your spot at https://www.quicket.co.za/events/362095-celebrate-elevate-a-community-event-for-the-ocean/#/
Beach huts
- By next week, the contractor will be dismantling and removing the four beach huts on the western side of the beachfront
- The four beach huts on the eastern side will be removed by mid-year
- The eight removed huts will be replaced with eight new huts of improved quality for increased durability, while following the historic design and pattern arrangement as part of the upgrade project
- The existing huts need to be removed from their current location as the new upgraded promenade will be further inland – the setback is approximately 2m. The setback is needed in response to the impact of climate change, including rising sea levels and storm surges and also to ensure the new seawall does not reduce the width of the beach
What to expect in coming weeks:
- The placing of the precast concrete units that form the stepped revetment and promenade walkway will progress to the eastern side of the beachfront
- The concrete work is continuing along the western parking section of the seawall
- The underground services such as water and sewer connections will be installed for the new ablution facilities
The fencing on the western side of the beachfront will be removed, and the beach area on this side will be accessible again by the end of July, if all goes as planned. By that time, the marine works will move towards the eastern side of the beachfront while the civil works are under way in the central plaza area.
Stay informed
Sign up for regular updates and more information by using the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/8rARD9z8SM
Send an email to [email protected]
Attend the bi-monthly community meetings – the next one is in April, the date will be confirmed closer to the time
Captions: The upgrade of the Muizenberg beachfront is progressing well. The contractor is currently placing the precast concrete slabs that form the revetment and promenade walkway along the western side of the beachfront. Once this project is complete, most of the steps will be covered by sand. Thus, what will be visible to the naked eye will look a lot different than what is currently the case. Next week, the four beach huts on this side will be dismantled and removed as well.
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
