Looking back at the year that has passed, 2025 was a bumper year for Hout Bay. The City of Cape Town continued with its extensive multi-year water pipe replacement program, and this large project with considerable budget and including kilometres of new pipes and pressure management infrastructure will see further additions and groundwork in 2026. The replacement program serves to provide newer reticulation systems that can cope with the steep topography of Hout Bay and as such mitigate some of the pressure build ups which have doggedly resulted in a “whack a mole” of joint and pipe bursts across the network.

The Ward 74 Committee has also served as one of the best performing of these structures in the City of Cape Town, holding regular meetings with much feedback and discussion around the big issues in our Ward regarding community, safety, environment and vulnerable persons, and which has fostered greater accountability and responsiveness to these sectors represented on that structure of local council. It has been a pleasure to chair these over the years, and I look forward to more co-operative governance interaction during the final year of this administration.

On responsiveness, I am pleased to report that the Ward 74 Service Request Group which comprises community representatives of Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu as well as Llandudno, Northshore the Valley and Longkloof and Scotts, Hughenden, Penzance and Beach Estates to name a few, continues to be instrumental in flagging large service delivery concerns in real time, and then distributing live time updates and communications from myself and the City of Cape Town to their local WhatsApp groups and networks along with Hout Bay Organized and Buzzer. All of these are valuable partners in ensuring I and the City are aware, and that their networks receive widely shareable and easily disseminated information so critical in keeping our communities informed.

Last year City wide saw the launch of the Neighbourhood Safety Officers. These dedicated Metro Police Officers along with our Law Enforcement and Traffic Police have ensured greater visibility, and faster response times all of which have in many ways brought down some crime and improved the sense of community security. These City agencies have an excellent relationship with our local South African Police Services as well as CCP and other safety and security organizations on the ground in Hout Bay & Llandudno, and which gives meaning to the City’s mantra of “Making Progress Possible, Together.”

Speaking of our service men and women, it would be remiss of me to not mention, and honour our City of Cape Town Fire Services as well as those of the SANPARKS Fire Rangers and the Wildfire Volunteer Firefighting Corps, all of whom have served our communities with distinction in fighting some severe blazes in and around our communities both last year and already now in 2026.

2025 and going into 2026 there have also been further improvements to various parks in Hout Bay as well as the further installation of the Valley Road non-motorized transport corridor for walkers, runners, cyclists, horse riders, and those in wheelchairs having a safer journey out of the roadway. The Christmas lights installation has also been a growing feature for our Bay, one which has delighted locals and visitors and which I hope to see one day grow all the way up Victoria Avenue to the top of Suikerbossie!

We can also look forward this year to an upgrade of the Hout Bay Beachfront which will include brick paving and resurfacing of sidewalks, additional benches as well as hard and soft landscaping with some mosaic details.

All of these improvements and additions to the great work in progress that is Ward 74 have resulted in ongoing increases in a buoyant and in-demand property market, which is in of itself an “independent” barometer of the desirability of Hout Bay and shows that despite some very real challenges, Hout Bay remains a place that people want to live in, raise their families, and enjoy good and accountable service delivery as well as the many excellent features of our Bay. Its active and involved community structures. Its excellent restaurants and hospitality. Retail and business convenience. And just being a “lekker place to be.”

I would like to thank you all for the near ten years of support and kindness shown to me as your Public Representative. It has been the honour of my life to serve our Ward 74 Family and I look forward to continue serving you all in 2026.

Yours in service,

Cllr Rob Quintas

From left to right – Alison Rice (Membership), Ralph Tobergte (Community Services), Jan Grant (Public Image), Michele Grant (Club Services), Adele Hayden (President), John Herrick (Treasurer), Carolyn Herrick (Past President 2024/25), Marianne Marsh (Youth Services), Tim Smith (Secretary), Keith Bull (Vocational) absent, Hans Kuhn (International) abscent.

2024 saw great progress with the City of Cape Town’s water pipe replacement program in Valley Road, Scott Estate and Baviaanskloof. There is still a long way to go, however the City confirmed its commitment to the massive, multi-million, multi-year program of laying new pipes and pressure release valves.

Pressure management remains a challenge however the project which will include Harbour Road in the future and has dedicated budgets and timelines, and I thank the residents of Hout Bay who experience water disruptions as we work through this mega-project for their patience and stoicism.

We also undertook some road maintenance, resurfacing and rehabilitation projects in Hout Bay throughout the year, and as much as there will always be more work to do, we can rest assured that the City continues to act on complaints received via our website, App or call centre, and also plan according to our pavement management strategy. The Valley Road Non-Motorised Transport Corridor project is also proceeding well, and will move in to its next phase, providing a safe surfaced area for bicycles, wheelchairs, prams, jogging and horses.

Hout Bay has now been allocated to the Southern District in terms of our Parks and Recreation function, and already there have been some improvement to parks in Hangberg and Llandudno and more is planned for the new calendar year. We also saw upgrades started to the Hout Bay Beach ablution blocks, and I am very excited to see the start of the Hout Bay Beachfront upgrade in the new financial year which starts 1^st July 2025.

The City’s Human Settlements Directorate has also made meaningful progress in our commitment to provide dignified housing in Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg and I am looking forward to taking our proposals to the communities in the New Year. Improved dignity for our residents is a priority, and is one which will also play its part in improving on our environment, with the infrastructure and services that formal housing can provide.

On that note, our Hout Bay river system has despite challenges created largely by informality, begun to improve, with fingerlings and fish number in our estuary and river mouth increasing and more birdlife being noted in our riverine corridor. This overall improvement is made possible by the Hout Bay rivers being part of the Mayor’s priority rivers program, and through excellent collaboration with local, committed and passionate Hout Bay based civic bodies such as the Hout Bay Friends of the Rivers and Hout Bay Rivers Catchment Forum.

2025 promises to be an exciting year, with more progress and improvement to our Ward on the cards, across multiple areas of local government responsibility and I would like to thank the many residents who log service requests, inform the City of Cape Town and me of service needs, and who play a large part in making Hout Bay a better place to live, work and play.

The proof of this is in the Christmas pudding, and is made evident by the fact that Hout Bay’s property market remains in high demand, with excellent sales prices being achieved across the Ward. This proves that despite our challenges, Hout Bay remains a flourishing area where people want to invest and make their homes and run their businesses.

On a personal note, I would like to thank the many residents who offer support and encouragement. It is greatly appreciated and I am grateful for the acknowledgment and kindness. On that note, I wish you all a very blessed and Merry Christmas, and a peaceful, prosperous and happy New Year.

See you in 2025!

Ralph presented the Paul Harris Fellow award to President Carolyn Herrick for her exceptional service to Rotary.

Carolyn presented Honorary Membership Awards for 2023/24 to Joelle Searle, Chris Eksteen (for Vision Testing Programme), Liz Huckle (for ePap Programme), Diane Barclay, Randell Barclay, Pat Whelan and Kevin Whelan for their dedicated contribution to our Club.

President Carolyn also inducted Dee Winsper as a new member to our Club. Welcome Dee !

Ralph announced his new board for the coming year:

Secretary – Carolyn Herrick

Treasurer – John Herrick

Club Services and Public Image – Adele Hayden

Vocational – Keith Bull

International – Hans Kuhn

Community Services – Ralph Tobergte

Youth Services – Marianne Marsh

Membership & Growth – Marcelo Andrade

Foundation – Phil Couchman

Congratulations to all.

We are now halfway through 2023, which warrants some reflection and, of course, looking forward. In the year so far, Hout Bay has already been showcased through hosting races, runs, and a multitude of other events, both large and small. These have drawn visitors from across Cape Town and further afield to our beautiful Bay. Although our little valley is at times confronted with great challenges, it remains one of the most picturesque and vibrant places to visit in Cape Town.

Some large, multi-stakeholder projects have been undertaken in the Hout Bay catchment in our efforts to tackle pollution sources, keeping the Bay beautiful and further enhancing its appeal. I’m pleased to report that the immediate and short-term wastewater and stormwater management programs have already made meaningful improvements. I’d like to thank all involved in the massive collective effort to clean up the Disa River, namely the Hout Bay Catchment Forum and its associated groups, including the Friends of the River Association, Ratepayers Association, NGOAS and key City of Cape Town departments and their dedicated officials.

One monumental intervention has been the construction of a concrete “outer ring road” in Imizamo Yethu. This new road has not only paved the way for greater access for public service vehicles, but has also facilitated improved access to dignified sanitation through the installation of full-flush toilets and wash basins.

I’m particularly pleased to have seen first-hand how the rollout of new, innovative rubbish bins has created a striking improvement to the general cleanliness at the top of Molokoane Street. The bins are the product of years of collaborative work between the City of Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and residents of informal settlements. Their unique design addresses the challenges of managing waste in informal settlements, including space shortages, odours, pests and stray animals, as well as high levels of bin theft and bin vandalism.

Not only do these interventions substantively improve the quality of life for residents of IY, but also vastly reduce instances of sewer blockages and overflows, and by extension, negative impacts on our natural environment.

Possibly the most exciting development recently was my meeting with the National Departments of Public Works and Infrastructure; and Forestry, Fisheries and Environment; along with officials representing all spheres of government, to at very long last commit to transforming the Hout Bay harbour from its current derelict state into a thriving hub of social, cultural – and crucially, economic – prosperity. I have been waiting for this opportunity for 7 years – to sit around a table and share with the custodians of the asset my vision of a reimagined Hout Bay harbour. It was unprecedented to experience politicians from multiple parties, officials from different departments and across different spheres of government, to all agree that the Hout Bay harbour would benefit from investment and land use planning and zoning, and by doing so create jobs for our communities and an authentic small boat harbour development of which we could all be immensely proud.

Unfortunately, the long anticipated installation of the Bethel Crossing Bridge has suffered a setback. I am determined to still see that project to completion, albeit on a delayed timeline.

Working together as communities, investing in our natural assets and our infrastructure, we can keep Hout Bay moving forward towards being what I have always hoped it to be: the most unique southern suburb of the Atlantic Seaboard.

Cllr Roberto Quintas

Ward 74 Hout Bay & Llandudno

Hout Bay is an inspiration to all who visit, live and work in it.

The resilience of our communities to rise above challenges never ceases to amaze me.

As we approach the final quarter of a fast paced 2022 it is with great pleasure that I am able to announce some exciting projects and activities that will continue to improve on the way we live in Ward 74.

During the financial year, 1 July’22 to 30 June ’23, we will see the installation of a bridge at the Bethal Crossing. This will go a long way to providing dignity for those workers needing to cross the river in inclement weather, and add to hiking experiences as well as assist safety services in quick crossings.

Also through my Ward Allocation, I have invested R100,000 in the Hout Bay Emergency Medical Services Volunteer Corps. They will be receiving a wide variety of resources which they chose for themselves and which will assist them in their great work of assisting others in need.

The health of our Hout Bay rivers remains of paramount importance and progress is being made in diversions and other strategies to improve water quality at our river mouth and beaches.

The transversal entity which includes environmental civic bodies is working well together with the City of Cape Town and our consultants are making headway on identifying other immediate quick win implementations as well as short to medium and long term plans for the improvement of our environment as well as way of life for the residents of Imizamo Yethu.

Imizamo Yethu will also be receiving an additional access road, which is partially built already and which will enable the further rollout of electricity and ease of access for service and emergency vehicles. Also in Imizamo Yethu, the housing project’s first phase is in concept design and the civils are all in place and awaiting top structures, once agreed to with the local community leadership.

Hangberg also stands to benefit from a second phase of formal housing, and this exciting project has two sites already identified as well as concept design, and is likewise also in process with the locally based and elected Project Steering Committee from the community.

I am honoured to have been elected for a second term, and despite the many challenges, believe that there are several legacy projects in place and on the horizon that will continue to add to the overall appeal of Hout Bay for its residents and visitors.

One such project is the upcoming and fourth installation of Festive Season decals along the coastal road from Chapmans Peak Hotel to Fish on the Rocks. It is my greatest hope that in the future we will have event organizers take the lead and arrange for Christmas Night Markets along the route which has the benefit of the Common, the reclaimed parking areas, Mariners and Hout Bay Harbour Market as destination items. Hout Bay in December can provide a balmy, coastal, suburban alternative to the lights at Adderley Street.

With that in mind I wish you all the very best for the remainder of 2022, and may you be blessed over the Christmas and New Year period.

29 March 2022  was the induction of our 2022 / 2023 President of The Rotary Club of Hout Bay – Carolyn Herrick. The dinner was held at The Manor Hotel in Hout Bay. Carolyn takes over from President Alison Rice on 1 July 2022.

The City of Cape Town provided wonderful activities for the smaller kids around the park too!

Rotary was there to hand over the Rotary Most Caring Eyethu Skateboarder Towards their Peers Award to Jose du Plooy and The Rotary Most Community Spirited Award to Sikhanyise Nyingeni.

Rotary together with Eyethu awarded Ziyaad Davids from Ziyaads Skate School the “Service above Self Award” – which is the Rotary motto.  Ziyaad’s contribution to skating in Hout Bay and surrounds has been instrumental in helping our youth learn and grow, both in skate skills and personal development. Ziyaad had a very successful career in tourism but during Covid-19 lost his job. He took a giant leap into the world of entrepreneurship and for the past year have been running his private skate lessons from various skate areas in Hout Bay which has enabled him to also give back to the community by running after school sessions for those who are not able to afford the lessons.

Yet despite these challenges, I remain constantly inspired and amazed by the sheer resilience of the Ward 74 communities and their businesses, and for the ongoing good works being undertaken by the City of Cape Town in Hout Bay.

Aside from the ongoing commitment to ‘invisible’ and routine services, such as refuse collection, in itself a triumph when one considers the routine 10 day closures of our depots when any one staff member is either tested positive or had been at work after being informed of exposure to someone who has tested positive for Covid 19, there are some obvious and visible successes which show the commitment that myself and the City have toward building communities, and improving public life for all our residents.

The Award winning and recognized Hout Bay Dune Management and Beach Renewal project has now started to expand to the old Law Enforcement Station parking area as well as at the Hout Bay Main Beach area. This ongoing and exciting project which involves multiple departments and which I have been driving since becoming Ward Councillor in 2016, will by the end of its multi-year process see the complete upgrade of the beachfront from Mariners Wharf to the Sentinel Ocean Alliance lifeguard area.

Our Imizamo Yethu formal housing project phase 1 is at an advanced stage with the underground services and roads installed for the first phase, and the gabion walls and piling for securing foundations for the top structures are well underway with the contractor and local teams on site. Running concurrently with the formal project, our Superblocking Plan B project is also at an advanced stage, with the ‘outer ring road’ from which services such as streetlights, water and electricity and improved access for sanitation and emergency vehicles is underway via our Informal Settlements Management Department. These two projects will firstly and most importantly provide a better standard of living for many of our residents as well as improve the ‘face’ of the Hout Bay built environment.

On the other side of the Bay, Hangberg is likewise in the process of receiving new and additional housing by the City of Cape Town, and Phase 2 Hangberg Formal Housing is now at conceptual design stage and will be shown to the community fairly soon. Also in Hangberg, the Salamander Park upgrade is near completion and will see formal putt-putt courses, greenery in the form of established shade bearing trees, new basketball hoops and repainting of sporting code lines, in addition to the new gym equipment already in place.

The Hout Bay Sports Complex which was infinitely improved by the public-private partnership between the City of Cape Town and Rotary and saw the much lauded Eyethu Skate Park being established, is now being further improved by the establishment of the formal play area and redesign of the parking area. This project taking place now will see the implementation of two hard courts surfaces for basketball and netball, as well as play equipment and greenery. The parking area and grass field will also benefit from re-establishment and this City of Cape Town facility will be one that all of Hout Bay can be proud of.

Carmel Park also received new and upgraded parking from my Ward Allocation and will be further improved over time. This park is a labour of love by local resident Una Holiday, and it has been a pleasure to invest in her vision for that previously unloved and underutilized public open space.

My vision for Hout Bay Common is also coming into fruition and we will in this new financial year see the establishment of the picnic areas, bandstand and repaved walkways of the main green and which will complement the already established and improved outdoor gym, fenced off lead-free doggy park and Andrews Park, all of which has been made possible over the years through careful and considered use of my Ward Allocation.

Likewise, we are in the process of improving the Hout Bay River Walk and conservancy with improvements to the boardwalk, as well as the establishment of a park like atmosphere at Milner Road using funding from my allocation.

Finally, this December will see the penultimate installation of Festive Lights from Princess Street Circle to Harbour Road Circle, and which will be followed by the final installation along Harbour Road next year. I have over the last few years via my Ward Allocation been acquiring festive decals for Hout Bay from Fish on the Rocks to the Oceana Factory, then from Chapmans Peak Hotel to Princess Street Circle, and now the two new installations for 2021 and 2022 will see a festive light walk or drive from Fish on the Rocks all the way to the Chapmans Peak Hotel along the coastal route.

It is my sincere hope that in time, Hout Bay will rival Adderley Street as a destination to take in the festive feeling, and in such a way as to benefit the local businesses in the Ward and hopefully encourage communities to establish night markets and thereby develop local economies and create economic opportunities for all.

Let us hold on to that hope, and work toward enjoying these facilities, features and an improved public open spaces lifestyle for Hout Bay when we can be together more, and we have together beaten Covid 19.

I wish you and your families well, and sincerely pray for your health and safety and ongoing fortitude during these most difficult times, and encourage you to mask up, sanitize, and conform to the necessary regulatory requirements.

Cllr Roberto Quintas

Ward 74: Hout Bay & Llandudno