Official Census and Reality

Although the official census for Cape Town is about 3.7 million, the true count is more like five million.

Every year, people from other African Nations venture to Cape Town lured by the promise of riches. Driving into Cape Town we saw miles of Shanty Towns.  The government allows these temporary dwellings and provides water and electricity. Because the homes are tiny and there is little cost associated with ownership, some families are able to afford luxuries like large televisions and satellite TV. These homes, situated very tightly, are made of wood or corrugated steel.  Frequently, a tiny spark has been know to start a major fire in the area.

For this reason, the government is replacing shanty towns with new single family or multiple family dwellings. They did not, however, ask citizens for input in this decision. As families are moved into new homes, their shanty town home is demolished to make room for new development.  Although this sounds ideal, many families are unable to afford the taxes or costs of water and electricity and are, as a result, left in a worse place financially.