Helderberg-based organisations Making a Change and Oasis Reach for Your Dreams have secured funding from the City of Cape Town to tackle the basin’s chronically-polluted Soet River and broader Sir Lowry’s Pass catchment.
They are among 22 community organisations awarded grants to the tune of R3,5 million through the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate’s expanded partnership programme. This supports community-led environmental action across the city, fostering local solutions for its most challenging waterways.
The Soet River has long struggled with pollution challenges. Making a Change will focus specifically on the Sir Lowry’s Pass catchment, while Oasis Reach for Your Dreams will engage homeless and marginalised youth in comprehensive clean-up efforts across the Helderberg, including the Soet River in Strand.
Said Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee member for Water and Sanitation: “By supporting community-led projects we are investing in innovative, locally-driven solutions that encourage active citizenry and deliver measurable improvements to river health.”
The funding represents the second round of the City’s community-partnership programme, more than double the number of supported organisations since 2024-’25. It evaluated 39 applications submitted in December and selected projects based on their ability to address water pollution in priority hotspots, involving local residents and clear implementation plans for the February-June 2026 period.
The Soet River initiatives join a diverse portfolio of community-led projects spanning from Durbanville to Hout Bay, each targeting specific local challenges:
• River rehabilitation in the Mosselbank River (Fisantekraal/Greenville)
• Community education in Kuils River, Mfuleni, and Khayelitsha
• Waste interception through The Litterboom Project’s city-wide efforts
• Youth training programmes across 50 schools through Save a Fishie
• Flood resilience mapping in vulnerable Khayelitsha communities.
The programme’s holistic approach addresses both immediate clean-up needs and long-term behavioural change, training community members as river wardens, water monitors, and conservation advocates.
“The City’s backing gives organisations the confidence to grow,” said Zoë Prinsloo from Save a Fishie. “It allows us to plan long term, invest in better equipment and educational materials, and reach more communities. Most importantly, the City’s support turns responsibility into real partnership.”
