The Identikidz project is aimed at promoting child safety at the City of Cape Town beaches and has grown to be trusted by thousands of parents and caregivers as an additional layer of protection while enjoying a day at the beach. The project will be deployed once more from mid-December for the peak festive season.

The Identikidz project allows children to be tagged on arrival at the beach, with a band containing their caregiver’s details.

In the event that a child is separated from their family, responders can use the contact information to reunite them. The project was first introduced in 2016.

It is managed by the Social Development and Early Childhood Development (SD&ECD) Department, and rolled out at Cape Town’s busiest beaches, as determined by the Disaster Risk Management Centre.

“More than 120 000 children were tagged last festive season, with Strand and Mnandi returning the highest figures,” said Mayoral Committee member for Community Services and Health Councillor Patricia Van der Ross. “The statistics are proof of the value that the Identikidz project adds, but also that more and more parents and caregivers are taking their children’s safety to heart when out and about over the very busy festive period. As we prepare to launch this year’s instalment I want to encourage families to make use of the service for added peace of mind.

“It is however important to remind everyone that they are ultimately still responsible for their children. While many children are quickly reunited, we have had instances where, by nightfall, children are handed over to social workers. In such cases, the situation does escalate and will include numerous home visits to ensure that the child’s overall circumstances are acceptable. So please, parents, do your bit. We understand that sometimes children wander off in the crowds, but it’s unacceptable that some are still unclaimed hours later when the beach day has ended.”

The project will run over the following periods: Friday 15 to Sunday 17 December; Saturday 23 to Tuesday 26 December; Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 December; Monday 1 January; Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 January; Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 January; and Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 January. Participating beaches are Big Bay, Camps Bay, Fish Hoek, Gordon’s Bay, Harmony Park, Lagoon Beach, Melkbosstrand, Milnerton Beach, Mnandi, Monwabisi, Muizenberg, Sea Point and surrounds, Silwerstroom, Strand and Strandfontein.

How Identikidz works

A registration kiosk, manned by an SD&ECD staffers and temporary workers employed through the Expanded Public Works Programme, is situated at the main entrance to the beach. Staff also roam the beach, encouraging parents to make their way to the registration desk if they have not done so already.

Each child that is registered receives a waterproof wristband containing a unique number. That number is recorded next to the details of the children (their caregiver’s name, address and a contact number) on a registration sheet. If a child’s family cannot be contacted via phone, a broadcast is done via the beach loudhailers.

If by the end of the Identikidz shift the child has still not been claimed, social workers from the Provincial Department of Social Development are activated to track and trace parents or caregivers.