The Macassar housing project has suffered another setback, leaving long-waiting beneficiaries frustrated and uncertain about when they will receive homes.

According to a Cape Argus/Cape Times report, City of Cape Town officials confirmed a delay in the planned construction of 1,026 phase two units after a procurement problem linked to a subcontractor. Some beneficiaries say they have waited more than 20 years for housing.

Procurement issue stalls 1,026 homes

The City’s mayoral committee member for human settlements, Carl Pophaim, reportedly told beneficiaries in November 2025 that construction would begin by February 2026 at the latest. However, officials later told a committee meeting that the project had been delayed because of procurement issues.

In a recording cited by the Cape Times, the City’s executive director for human settlements, Nolwandle Gqiba, said a subcontractor linked to the appointed contractor was not properly registered. As a result, the tender process may have to restart.

A City tender document published for the project describes the work as the construction and rehabilitation of civil works for phases 2 and 3, as well as top structures and internal electrical infrastructure for 1,026 erven.

Beneficiaries say the wait has become unbearable

Beneficiary Elizabeth Steenkamp, 55, told the publication she first registered for a house in 2003. She now lives in her brother’s phase one unit with her 19-year-old daughter.

“They say they will start building in January, which means we will have to wait another six years again,” Steenkamp said, according to the report.

NCC councillor Felicia Solomons warned that poor communication could heighten tensions in the area. ANC councillor Judy-Ann Stevens also said residents had grown excited after being told building would begin by March, but the process had since gone quiet.

Earlier phases show long project history

The Macassar housing project has been described in earlier City-linked reporting as a major housing development. In 2024, Cape Town Etc reported that phase 1 would consist of 605 units and that the City had spent more than R200 million on the project by that stage.

Infrastructure News, citing City information, reported in May 2025 that 29 more homes had been handed over to qualifying beneficiaries in the broader Macassar mega project.

The City has previously said people earmarked for the Macassar housing project would be drawn from the Housing Database and would need to meet qualification criteria.

City response

Pophaim said the City would give residents feedback once it had clarified its next steps. He said the City was negotiating on existing contracts and, if that failed, would have to explore an acceleration plan. He added that he hoped construction could resume by July, according to the Cape Argus/Cape Times report.