Mowbray has a safety index of 22 out of 100 (Higher reported crime). This is a relative measure comparing reported crime across Cape Town suburbs, not an absolute safety guarantee. The Mowbray precinct recorded approximately 876 crimes in the most recent annual period. Absolute crime volume is below the city average.

Is Mowbray affordable?

Mowbray is among the higher-value suburbs in Cape Town. The median property value of R3.2M places it in the 79th percentile, above 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 Mowbray?

The median monthly water cost per account in Mowbray is R1,060, 61% above the city median of R658. The median monthly electricity cost per account in Mowbray is R1,602, 16% below the median of CoCT-billed suburbs of R1,900.

What is the municipal debt in Mowbray?

As of May 2026, the average outstanding municipal debt per account in Mowbray is R27,968, 217% above the city median of R8,815. Figures include all account types, so may overstate household debt in areas with commercial activity.

Mowbray

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

Safety22/100Precinct estimate only Property2-2.5MTop 21%Schools490% matric pass rate Healthcare25 facilitiesmore access than most suburbs CouncilAbove avg complaints2d median resolution TransportMinibus taxi coveragewell-connected area

Data current as of June 2026

The neighbourhood

What's it like to live here?

Mowbray is a neighbourhood in Southern Suburbs, Cape Town, where property values sit in the upper quartile for Cape Town. The area's safety profile is among the more challenging areas for reported safety in Cape Town. There are several places of worship in the area. The dominant commuter mode is private vehicle.

How is the area changing?

In Mowbray, crime levels are stable based on the most recent quarterly comparison. Property value growth has lagged behind inflation between valuation rolls.

What should buyers know?

Mowbray is served by schools within reach, 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 Mowbray safe?

Higher reported crime

Higher crimeModerateLower crime

8th percentile among 744 suburbs · Data: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026) · relative index, not an absolute safety measure

Very lowAbsolute crime volume

876 reported crimes per year · city median: 4 280

↓ 0.5% vs Q3 2024

Rate and volume tell different stories.

The per-capita rate appears high, but actual crime volume (876) is below the city median.

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?: 22 / 100Limited data — why?
Contact crime rate: 98,197 per 100k residents
Station population: 6 642
Harm rate (per resident): 13/100
Harm volume (absolute): 37/100
Data period: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026)
Source: SAPS via DataFirst · CC-BY 4.0

This data reflects crimes reported to SAPS Mowbray precinct, which covers Mowbray 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 Mowbray?

79th percentile

Planned development

45 hectares of land in Mowbray are earmarked for new development across 1 parcel, primarily Low Density Residential (45ha).

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

The median property value in Mowbray is R3.2M. Property values have grown by 1.5% per year since 2018.

A 1.5% annual growth rate (CAGR) over the valuation period.

Value band distribution – Mowbray properties (GV2022)

800k-1M

1-1.5M

1.5-2M

2-2.5M ◀

2.5-3M

3-3.5M

3.5-4M

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: R3,230,000
Value growth (CAGR 2018–2022): +1.5% per year
City-wide value percentile: 79th percentile
Dominant value band: 2-2.5M
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 Mowbray?

Computed from City of Cape Town billing data

Water

R1 060 / month

61% above city median

Electricity

R1 602 / month

16% below median of CoCT-billed suburbs

Water trend:Dec 2025: R860Jan 2026: R1 201Feb 2026: R1 060

Electricity trend:Dec 2025: R2 118Jan 2026: R1 602Feb 2026: R1 454

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

INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

Development activity in Mowbray

↑ Increasing

Mowbray had 72 building plans approved in the last three financial years (FY22/23 to FY24/25), averaging 24 per year. Most were renovations and extensions.

3-year approvals: 72
Annual average: 24/yr
Avg project value: R2.2M

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 Mowbray?

4 schools nearby

Mowbray has 4 schools within reach. The area matric pass rate is 89.8%, below the city median of 90.0%. Schools include Hillcrest School.

Adjusted pass rate: 89.8%; City median: 90.0%
Schools contributing: 3; 454 candidates
Median quintile: Q5; Q4-Q5

IND
Hillcrest School
Independent · Grades R–7 · 166 learners · 20.8:1 learner-educator ratio
PrivateNo-fee schoolFavourable class size
IND
St. George'S Grammar School
Independent · Grades R–12 · 403 learners · 8.8:1 learner-educator ratio
PrivateQuintile 5School fees applyFavourable class size
Q4
Thandokhulu Secondary School
Public · Grades 8–12 · 1,273 learners · 35.4:1 learner-educator ratio
Q5
Rhodes High School
Public · Grades 8–12 · 1,014 learners · 24.1:1 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 Mowbray?

Private vehicle dominant

Mowbray has 155 minibus taxi routes, including routes to the CBD. The most common way people get to work is by private vehicle (69%).

Taxi connectivity

Well connected

155 routes

99th percentile · 64 destinations · CBD-connected

Athlone, Athlone (via m5, ottery rd, rosmead, milner & klipfontein), Bellville, Bellville (via n2, cape town, n1, & durban rd), Bellville (via n2, cape town, n1, vanguard dr & voortrekker rd), Bonteheuwel +58 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 Mowbray – consider proximity to work when evaluating.

Private vehicle

69%

Walking

Minibus taxi

18%

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 (69%)
Source: CCT Household Survey 2024

Source: City of Cape Town Open Data · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

What are living conditions in Mowbray?

Full municipal services

Mowbray has a service delivery index of 97 out of 100, above the city median of 84.5. 99% of dwellings are formal structures.

Computed from the City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey, Mowbray/Observatory survey group (79 households). direct.

› Monthly accommodation expenditure (R4,640) is 2.8× the city median of R1,674.› High digital connectivity: 82% of households have home internet access.

Access to basic services

97City median: 85

Piped water: 93.3%
Flush toilet: 100.0%
Weekly refuse: 95.0%
Grid electricity: 100.0%

Housing & tenure – Transient or rental-dominated

99City median: 68

Formal dwellings: 99.2%
Owner-occupied: 30.3%
Rented: 58.6%

Environmental risk – Low risk exposure

4risk index · higher = greater risk · City median: 26

Flooding risk: 0.0%
Fire risk: 0.0%
Violent crime: 0.0%
Non-violent crime: 4.2%

Economic structure – Moderate material pressure

Food spending share: 23.1%; Share of income spent on food
City median: 35.3%
Comfortable, moderate discretionary income · 91st percentile
Hardship dimensions: 2; Areas of material need (out of 8)
Grant income share: 9.0%; of households receiving grants
Monthly savings: R638; Weighted mean per household

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Home fibre: 81.5%; City median: 46.5%
Mobile only: 14.2%
No access: 3.4%

Food security

Adult food insecurity: 11.8%; City median: 18.3%
Child food insecurity: 4.2%; City median: 13.0%
Food insecurity prevalence: 30.2%; City median: 22.3%

Demographics & community

Avg household size: 2.1 people
Avg children per household: 0.3

Asset ownership

Computer access: 63.1%
Fridge ownership: 96.7%
Property ownership: 3.3%
Geyser ownership: 72.4%
Borehole access: 13.2%

Home-based economy

Home-based business: 11.0%; of households operate a home-based business
WFH full-time: 1.7%
WFH part-time: 4.2%

Source: City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey. Survey group: Mowbray/Observatory. direct.

Energy access

Free basic electricity

5.6%

City median

2% of electricity connections in Mowbray 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. 4,665 connections.

Source: City of Cape Town household survey · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

How responsive are municipal services in Mowbray?

Responsive

The City of Cape Town resolves service requests in Mowbray in a median of 2 days, compared to the city-wide median of 1 day. This is based on 10,542 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

35th

Percentile
across Cape Town

28%

Resolved
same day

Power outage (11%)Single street light out (8%)Street lights out (7%)Illegal dumping (7%)Water leak (3%)

Service requests logged: 10 542
Requests resolved: 77% (8 128 of 10 542)
75% resolved within: 6 days
90% resolved within: 17 days
Source: CCT service request database

Community & faith

Places of worship

9 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

Above city average

Complaint rate How is this calculated?: 3169.5 per 1,000 households
Total complaints: 10 526
Unresolved: 23.0%

Top issues: Power outage (1 171), Single street light out (820), Illegal dumping (711)

Source: City of Cape Town C3 service requests

MUNICIPAL FINANCE

Municipal debt in Mowbray

217% above city median

Computed from City of Cape Town financial data

Municipal debt in Mowbray averages R27 968 per account, compared to the city median of R8 815.

R27 968

per account

217% above city median

Trend:Mar 2026: R25 397Apr 2026: R27 968May 2026: R30 981

Breakdown as of May 2026

Property rates: R9 558 490
Electricity: R11 840 934
Water: R3 440 831
Refuse: R762 745
Sewerage: R1 463 274
City-wide cleaning: R197 345
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 Mowbray?

Well served

Healthcare access

25 within 5km

Nearest public: Red Cross Children'S Hospital · Provincial Hospital · 0.6 km
Nearest private: Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital · Private Hospital · 0.7 km
Public facilities: 18
Private facilities: 7

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

The nearest fire station to Mowbray is Salt River, 2.7 km away. The nearest public pool is Observatory Swimming Pool, 1.2 km away. The nearest clinic is Red Cross Children'S Hospital, 0.6 km away.

Nearest clinic: Red Cross Children'S Hospital · 0.6 km
Nearest library: Mowbray · 1.4 km
Nearest park / open space: Rondebosch Common · 0.3 km