Leiden has a safety index of 18 out of 100 (Higher reported crime). This is a relative measure comparing reported crime across Cape Town suburbs, not an absolute safety guarantee. The Delft precinct recorded approximately 11,932 crimes in the most recent annual period. Absolute crime volume is above the city average.

Is Leiden affordable?

Leiden is among the more affordable suburbs in Cape Town. With a median property value of R170K, it falls in the 1st percentile, below most of the city. Note that these figures are based on the City of Cape Town General Valuation 2022 and reflect municipal valuations, not necessarily current market prices.

What are utility costs in Leiden?

The median monthly water cost per account in Leiden is R52, 92% below the city median of R658.

What is the municipal debt in Leiden?

As of May 2026, the average outstanding municipal debt per account in Leiden is R2,478, 72% below the city median of R8,815. Figures include all account types, so may overstate household debt in areas with commercial activity.

Leiden

A suburb with higher reported crime, more affordable property values, and strong school performance relative to Cape Town.

Safety18/100Safer than 3% of Cape Town suburbs (relative) · ↓ Improving Property0-200kTop 99%Schools589% matric pass rate Healthcare11 facilitiesmore access than most suburbs CouncilBelow avg complaints2d median resolution TransportMinibus taxi coveragewell-connected area

Data current as of June 2026

The neighbourhood

What's it like to live here?

Leiden is a neighbourhood in Cape Flats, Cape Town, where property values place it among the more affordable areas in Cape Town. The area's safety profile is among the more challenging areas for reported safety in Cape Town. There is a place of worship in the area. The dominant commuter mode is minibus taxi.

How is the area changing?

In Leiden, crime is declining based on the most recent quarterly comparison. Property values have grown above inflation between valuation rolls.

What should buyers know?

Leiden is well-served by schools, and matric results sit slightly below the city average. In this area, service complaints are generally resolved within a few days. The suburb is well-served by nearby healthcare facilities.

Neighbourhood summary generated from StreetSignal data and reviewed by our team.

These statistics describe the suburb as a whole. Conditions vary between streets and neighbourhoods within any suburb.

For home buyers & families

Is Leiden safe?

Higher reported crime

Higher crimeModerateLower crime

32nd percentile among 744 suburbs · based on precinct-level data shared with 14 suburbs · Data: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026) · relative index, not an absolute safety measure

Very highAbsolute crime volume

11 932 reported crimes per year · city median: 4 280

↓ 5.1% vs Q3 2024

Crime is higher than most of Cape Town but has been decreasing over the past year. Contact crime (assault, robbery) dominates the reported crime profile. Check the breakdown below for specifics.

Detailed data

Safety index (resident-adjusted) How is this calculated?: 18 / 100
Contact crime rate: 2,493,220 per 100k residents
Station population: 216 782
Harm rate (per resident): 17/100
Harm volume (absolute): 19/100
Data period: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026)
Source: SAPS via DataFirst · CC-BY 4.0

This data reflects crimes reported to SAPS Delft precinct, which covers Leiden and surrounding suburbs. Reported crime may differ from actual crime levels.Full methodology

Disagree with this score? Challenge the methodology ›

Source: SAPS via DataFirst · Q4 2025/2026

FOR BUYERS & INVESTORS

What do properties cost in Leiden?

1st percentile

The median property value in Leiden is R170K. Property values have grown by 6.9% per year since 2018.

A 6.9% annual growth rate (CAGR) over the valuation period.

Value band distribution – Leiden properties (GV2022)

0-200k ◀

2-400k

4-600k

6-800k

Property values are based on the City of Cape Town's 2022 General Valuation roll. GV is an assessed value for municipal rating purposes; transaction prices frequently exceed GV. Recent sales transaction data and rental market data are not available as open data in South Africa.

Median GV2022: R170,000
Value growth (CAGR 2018–2022): +6.9% per year↑ Growing
City-wide value percentile: 1st percentile
Dominant value band: 0-200k
Source: CCT GV 2022 · Open Data Policy 27781
Vintage: General Valuation 2022 (municipal valuation, not current market price)

Source: City of Cape Town GV2022

FOR RESIDENTS

What do utilities cost in Leiden?

Computed from City of Cape Town billing data

Water

R52 / month

92% below city median

Electricity

This area is supplied by Eskom. City of Cape Town electricity billing data is not available.

Water trend:Dec 2025: R52Jan 2026: R54Feb 2026: R45

Monthly cost per account from City of Cape Town billing data. Water coverage: 647 suburbs. Electricity coverage: 384 suburbs.

INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

Development activity in Leiden

↑ Increasing

Leiden had 11 building plans approved in the last three financial years (FY22/23 to FY24/25), averaging 4 per year. Most were renovations and extensions.

3-year approvals: 11
Annual average: 4/yr
Avg project value: R2.1M

Building plans approved by the City of Cape Town (2014-2025). Approvals indicate planned investment, not completed construction. This data reflects formal building activity only and does not capture informal construction, backyard dwellings, or building work undertaken without a formal plan submission. In areas with high informality, actual construction activity may be substantially higher than these figures suggest. Source: CoCT Building Development Management (DAMS).

FOR PARENTS

How are schools in Leiden?

5 schools nearby

Leiden has 5 schools within reach. The area matric pass rate is 88.8%, below the city median of 90.0%. Schools include Leiden Junior High School.

Adjusted pass rate: 88.8%; City median: 90.0%
Schools contributing: 1; 160 candidates
Median quintile: Q4; Q4-Q5

–
Leiden Junior High School
Public · Grades 8–12 · 816 learners · 38.9:1 learner-educator ratio
Q4
Leiden Secondary School
Public · Grades 8–12 · 935 learners · 24.6:1 learner-educator ratio
Favourable class size
Q4
Leiden Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 966 learners · 34.5:1 learner-educator ratio
Q4
Leiden Avenue Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,485 learners · 37.1:1 learner-educator ratio
Q4
Kairos Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,370 learners · 38.1:1 learner-educator ratio

Quintile 5 is the highest government-funding category - fees apply, but these are the best-resourced public schools in South Africa. Rankings set by the WCED against community socioeconomic index. Learner-educator ratio (LER) is from EMIS Q2 2025; under 30:1 is favourable by WCED standards, over 40:1 indicates strained capacity. What quintile means ›

Source: DBE EMIS · Q2 2025

FOR COMMUTERS

How connected is Leiden?

Taxi-connected

Leiden has 32 minibus taxi routes, including routes to the CBD. The most common way people get to work is by minibus taxi (54%).

Taxi connectivity

Well connected

32 routes

80th percentile · 30 destinations · CBD-connected

Bellville, Cape town, Cape town (via n2 & main rd), Delft, Delft south, Eindhoven +24 more

Based on CCT minibus taxi route data. Routes matched by name and spatial proximity (500m). Methodology ›

Commute mode share

Minibus taxis are the primary transport mode. The 54% share reflects a working-class commuter profile – taxi connectivity is a critical economic lifeline, not a lifestyle choice.

Private vehicle

15%

Walking

21%

MyCiTi bus

Minibus taxi

54%

Cape Town transport context: In South African cities, transport mode is a socioeconomic proxy – high private vehicle = affluent, high minibus taxi = working class, high walking = structural necessity not preference. StreetSignal reports modal share rather than a walkability index, which would misrepresent SA urban mobility. Methodology ›

Dominant mode: Minibus taxi (54%)
Source: CCT Household Survey 2024

Source: City of Cape Town Open Data · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

What are living conditions in Leiden?

Partial service delivery

Leiden has a service delivery index of 78 out of 100, below the city median of 84.5. 63% of dwellings are formal structures.

Computed from the City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey, Delft survey group (51 households). direct.

› Adult food insecurity (27.3%) is 1.5× the city average of 18.3%.› Monthly accommodation expenditure (R315) is 0.2× the city median of R1,674.› Mobile-dependent: 65% of households rely on mobile data as their primary internet access.› 19% of households have experienced flooding, indicating elevated environmental vulnerability.› Violent crime victimisation reported by 11% of households (distinct from SAPS-reported statistics).

Food security

Adult food insecurity: 27.3%; City median: 18.3%
Child food insecurity: 29.7%; City median: 13.0%
Food insecurity prevalence: 23.1%; City median: 22.3%

Access to basic services

78City median: 85

Piped water: 77.6%
Flush toilet: 76.5%
Weekly refuse: 73.4%
Grid electricity: 83.3%

Housing & tenure – Informal or family-compound housing

63City median: 68

Formal dwellings: 62.9%
Owner-occupied: 30.8%
Rented: 16.4%

Environmental risk – Elevated risk exposure

39risk index · higher = greater risk · City median: 26

Flooding risk: 18.6%
Fire risk: 9.9%
Violent crime: 10.7%
Non-violent crime: 0.0%

Economic structure – Moderate material pressure

Food spending share: 48.5%; Share of income spent on food
City median: 35.3%
Under pressure, limited discretionary income · 25th percentile
Hardship dimensions: 1; Areas of material need (out of 8)
Grant income share: 46.0%; of households receiving grants
Monthly savings: R17; Weighted mean per household

Digital inclusion – Mobile-dependent suburb

Home fibre: 14.3%; City median: 46.5%
Mobile only: 64.8%
No access: 13.2%

Demographics & community

Avg household size: 3.8 people
Avg children per household: 1.4

Asset ownership

Computer access: 10.8%
Fridge ownership: 80.1%
Property ownership: 0.0%
Geyser ownership: 0.0%
Borehole access: 0.0%

Home-based economy

Home-based business: 7.3%; of households operate a home-based business
WFH full-time: 2.4%
WFH part-time: 1.1%

Source: City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey. Survey group: Delft. direct.

Source: City of Cape Town household survey · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

How responsive are municipal services in Leiden?

Responsive

The City of Cape Town resolves service requests in Leiden in a median of 2 days, compared to the city-wide median of 1 day. This is based on 7,317 service requests to the City of Cape Town.

Computed from City of Cape Town service request data

Below-average municipal responsiveness. A 2-day median resolution is slower than the city median – infrastructure complaints take meaningfully longer to resolve.

Median days to resolve
City median: 1

32nd

Percentile
across Cape Town

12%

Resolved
same day

Sewerage overflow (17%)Stolen Bins - 240L (16%)Damaged Bin - 240L (8%)Leak at meter/stopcock 20mm below (7%)Street lights out (7%)

Service requests logged: 7 317
Requests resolved: 83% (6 038 of 7 317)
75% resolved within: 5 days
90% resolved within: 15 days
Source: CCT service request database

Community & faith

Places of worship

1 registered

Christian

Places of worship per suburb from City of Cape Town open data, supplemented with OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Coverage: 373 of 744 suburbs.

Municipal complaints

Complaints & top issues

Below city average

Complaint rate How is this calculated?: 0.0 per 1,000 households
Total complaints: 7 262
Unresolved: 17.0%

Top issues: Sewerage overflow (1 238), Stolen Bins - 240L (1 154), Damaged Bin - 240L (603)

Source: City of Cape Town C3 service requests

MUNICIPAL FINANCE

Municipal debt in Leiden

72% below city median

Computed from City of Cape Town financial data

Municipal debt in Leiden averages R2 478 per account, compared to the city median of R8 815.

R2 478

per account

72% below city median

Trend:Mar 2026: R2 395Apr 2026: R2 478May 2026: R2 529

Breakdown as of May 2026

Property rates: R1 770 789
Electricity: R0
Water: R8 902 608
Refuse: R1 798 732
Sewerage: R3 721 281
City-wide cleaning: R41 857
Improvement district: R0

Outstanding municipal arrears from City of Cape Town financial records. Coverage: 741 suburbs. Per-account figures available for 582 suburbs.

FOR FAMILIES

What services are near Leiden?

Well served

Healthcare access

11 within 5km

Nearest public: Wesbank Clinic · Community Day Centre · 2 km
Nearest private: Netcare Kuils River Hospital · Private Hospital · 6.7 km
Public facilities: 11
Private facilities: 0

This suburb has public healthcare access but no private facilities within 5 km.

The nearest fire station to Leiden is Belhar, 2.0 km away. The nearest public pool is Delft Swimming Pool, 0.7 km away. The nearest clinic is Wesbank Clinic, 2.0 km away.

Nearest clinic: Wesbank Clinic · 2 km
Nearest library: Delft · 0.6 km
Nearest park / open space: Jan Dissels Road Park · 0.07 km