Lotus River has a safety index of 28 out of 100 (Higher reported crime). This is a relative measure comparing reported crime across Cape Town suburbs, not an absolute safety guarantee. The Grassy Park precinct recorded approximately 5,908 crimes in the most recent annual period. Absolute crime volume is above the city average.

Is Lotus River affordable?

Lotus River is among the more affordable suburbs in Cape Town. With a median property value of R1M, it falls in the 31st 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 Lotus River?

The median monthly water cost per account in Lotus River is R441, 33% below the city median of R658. The median monthly electricity cost per account in Lotus River is R1,730, 9% below the median of CoCT-billed suburbs of R1,900.

What is the municipal debt in Lotus River?

As of May 2026, the average outstanding municipal debt per account in Lotus River is R9,000, 2% above the city median of R8,815. Figures include all account types, so may overstate household debt in areas with commercial activity.

Lotus River

A suburb with higher reported crime, below-average property values, and strong school performance relative to Cape Town.

Safety28/100Precinct estimate only Property6-800kTop 69%Schools1285% matric pass rate Healthcare10 facilitiesmore access than most suburbs CouncilNear avg complaints2d median resolution TransportMinibus taxi coveragewell-connected area

Data current as of June 2026

The neighbourhood

What's it like to live here?

Lotus River is a neighbourhood in Southern Suburbs, Cape Town, where property values are moderate by Cape Town standards. The area's safety profile is below the city average for reported safety. There is a strong presence of places of worship serving the community. The dominant commuter mode is private vehicle.

How is the area changing?

In Lotus River, crime levels are stable based on the most recent quarterly comparison. Property values have broadly tracked inflation between valuation rolls.

What should buyers know?

Lotus River 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 Lotus River safe?

Higher reported crime

Higher crimeModerateLower crime

31st percentile among 744 suburbs · Data: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026) · relative index, not an absolute safety measure

HighAbsolute crime volume

5 908 reported crimes per year · city median: 4 280

↓ 1.7% vs Q3 2024

Crime is higher than most of Cape Town. 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?: 28 / 100Limited data — why?
Contact crime rate: 671,429 per 100k residents
Station population: 108 019
Harm rate (per resident): 29/100
Harm volume (absolute): 28/100
Data period: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026)
Source: SAPS via DataFirst · CC-BY 4.0

This data reflects crimes reported to SAPS Grassy Park precinct, which covers Lotus River 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 Lotus River?

31st percentile

Planned development

24 hectares of land in Lotus River are earmarked for new development across 4 parcels, primarily High Density Residential (24ha).

Source: CCT District Spatial Development Framework (January 2023). Development areas indicate planning designation, not construction timelines.

The median property value in Lotus River is R1M. Property values have grown by 4.8% per year since 2018.

A 4.8% annual growth rate (CAGR) over the valuation period.

Value band distribution – Lotus River properties (GV2022)

0-200k

2-400k

4-600k

6-800k ◀

800k-1M

1-1.5M

1.5-2M

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: R1,000,000
Value growth (CAGR 2018–2022): +4.8% per year↑ Growing
City-wide value percentile: 31st percentile
Dominant value band: 6-800k
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 Lotus River?

Computed from City of Cape Town billing data

Water

R441 / month

33% below city median

Electricity

R1 730 / month

9% below median of CoCT-billed suburbs

Water trend:Dec 2025: R469Jan 2026: R441Feb 2026: R410

Electricity trend:Dec 2025: R1 967Jan 2026: R1 730Feb 2026: R1 388

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

INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

Development activity in Lotus River

↑ Increasing

Lotus River had 300 building plans approved in the last three financial years (FY22/23 to FY24/25), averaging 100 per year. Most were new residential builds.

3-year approvals: 300
Annual average: 100/yr
Avg project value: R589K

43% social housing43% of recent building plans in Lotus River were for RDP or low-cost housing projects.

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 Lotus River?

12 schools nearby

Lotus River has 12 schools within reach. The area matric pass rate is 85.2%, below the city median of 90.0%. Schools include Al-Azhar Primary School.

Adjusted pass rate: 85.2%; City median: 90.0%
Schools contributing: 1; 48 candidates
Median quintile: Q5; Q4-Q5

IND
Al-Azhar Primary School
Independent · Grades R–7 · 591 learners · 23.6:1 learner-educator ratio
PrivateQuintile 5School fees applyFavourable class size
Q5
Lotus River Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 562 learners · 28.1:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees applyFavourable class size
Q4
Parkwood Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 687 learners · 29.9:1 learner-educator ratio
Favourable class size
Q5
Perivale Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 774 learners · 32.2:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q4
Montagu'S Gift Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 471 learners · 29.4:1 learner-educator ratio
Favourable class size
Q5
Plantation Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 772 learners · 28.6:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees applyFavourable class size
Q5
St. Clements Rc Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 295 learners · 32.8:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Buck Road Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 918 learners · 34:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q4
Stephenweg Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 546 learners · 34.1:1 learner-educator ratio
Q4
Zeekoevlei Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 867 learners · 34.7:1 learner-educator ratio
Q4
Die Duine Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,141 learners · 34.6:1 learner-educator ratio
Q5
Lotus Sekondêr
Public · Grades 8–12 · 363 learners · 15.8:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees applyFavourable class size

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 Lotus River?

Vehicle-led mix

Lotus River has 11 minibus taxi routes. The most common way people get to work is by private vehicle (55%).

Taxi connectivity

Moderate connectivity

11 routes

42nd percentile · 9 destinations

Hanover park, Lotus river, Mitchells plain, Muizenberg, Ottery, Plumstead +3 more

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

Commute mode share

A mixed transport profile. Multiple modes serve Lotus River – consider proximity to work when evaluating.

Private vehicle

55%

Walking

11%

MyCiTi bus

12%

Minibus taxi

23%

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: Private vehicle (55%)
Source: CCT Household Survey 2024

Source: City of Cape Town Open Data · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

What are living conditions in Lotus River?

Full municipal services

Lotus River has a service delivery index of 96 out of 100, above the city median of 84.5. 77% of dwellings are formal structures.

Computed from the City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey, Lotus River survey group (49 households). direct.

› food spending share of 36.0% places households in the "comfortable" band (city median: 32.1%).› Adult food insecurity at 10.5% (above the city median of 2.9%).› Service delivery score of 95.8/100 indicates reliable access to municipal infrastructure.› 76% of dwellings are formal structures.› Fibre internet available to 69% of households.

Access to basic services

96City median: 85

Piped water: 88.3%
Flush toilet: 95.7%
Weekly refuse: 99.3%
Grid electricity: 100.0%

Housing & tenure – Mixed tenure community

77City median: 68

Formal dwellings: 76.5%
Owner-occupied: 55.9%
Rented: 16.7%

Environmental risk – Low risk exposure

6risk index · higher = greater risk · City median: 26

Flooding risk: 2.4%
Fire risk: 0.0%
Violent crime: 1.4%
Non-violent crime: 2.4%

Economic structure – Moderate material pressure

Food spending share: 36.0%; Share of income spent on food
City median: 35.3%
Comfortable, moderate discretionary income · 55th percentile
Hardship dimensions: 1; Areas of material need (out of 8)
Grant income share: 48.0%; of households receiving grants
Monthly savings: R254; Weighted mean per household

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Home fibre: 68.8%; City median: 46.5%
Mobile only: 18.4%
No access: 12.9%

Food security

Adult food insecurity: 10.5%; City median: 18.3%
Child food insecurity: 1.4%; City median: 13.0%
Food insecurity prevalence: 12.4%; City median: 22.3%

Demographics & community

Avg household size: 4.0 people
Avg children per household: 1.1

Asset ownership

Computer access: 40.1%
Fridge ownership: 94.8%
Property ownership: 2.4%
Geyser ownership: 58.3%
Borehole access: 7.2%

Home-based economy

Home-based business: 15.8%; of households operate a home-based business
WFH full-time: 2.4%
WFH part-time: 2.4%

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

Energy access

30%

Free basic electricity

5.6%

City median

30% of electricity connections in Lotus River receive free basic electricity under the City's indigent support programme. Free basic electricity is a constitutional entitlement providing a monthly allocation to qualifying households. The proportion reflects the reach of the City's indigent support in this suburb, not a measure of poverty.

Source: CCT prepaid electricity data (2025/11/30 to 2026/01/31). Covers prepaid connections only. Credit-metered households are not included. 13,554 connections.

Source: City of Cape Town household survey · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

How responsive are municipal services in Lotus River?

Responsive

The City of Cape Town resolves service requests in Lotus River in a median of 2 days, compared to the city-wide median of 1 day. This is based on 25,483 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

29%

Resolved
same day

Sewerage overflow (19%)Power outage (11%)Street lights out (6%)Suspect Tampering (4%)Single street light out (4%)

Service requests logged: 25 483
Requests resolved: 77% (19 636 of 25 483)
75% resolved within: 6 days
90% resolved within: 16 days
Source: CCT service request database

Community & faith

Places of worship

24 registered

Christian

Islamic

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

Near city average

Complaint rate How is this calculated?: 2488.2 per 1,000 households
Total complaints: 25 419
Unresolved: 23.0%

Top issues: Sewerage overflow (4 765), Power outage (2 839), Street lights out (1 490)

Source: City of Cape Town C3 service requests

MUNICIPAL FINANCE

Municipal debt in Lotus River

2% above city median

Computed from City of Cape Town financial data

Municipal debt in Lotus River averages R9 000 per account, compared to the city median of R8 815.

R9 000

per account

2% above city median

Trend:Mar 2026: R8 951Apr 2026: R9 113May 2026: R9 000

Breakdown as of May 2026

Property rates: R8 694 430
Electricity: R13 086 153
Water: R14 245 409
Refuse: R3 736 916
Sewerage: R6 511 413
City-wide cleaning: R273 327
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 Lotus River?

Well served

Healthcare access

10 within 5km

Nearest public: Klip Road Clinic · Community Day Centre · 0.9 km
Nearest private: Mediclinic Constantiaberg · Private Hospital · 4.8 km
Public facilities: 9
Private facilities: 1

This suburb has access to both public and private healthcare within 5 km.

The nearest fire station to Lotus River is Ottery, 2.1 km away. The nearest public pool is Wynberg Swimming Pool, 4.2 km away. The nearest clinic is Klip Road Clinic, 0.9 km away.

Nearest clinic: Klip Road Clinic · 0.9 km
Nearest library: Ottery · 0.7 km
Nearest park / open space: Big Lotus River Canal · 0.24 km