Portland has a safety index of 32 out of 100 (Higher reported crime). This is a relative measure comparing reported crime across Cape Town suburbs, not an absolute safety guarantee. The Mitchells Plain precinct recorded approximately 15,168 crimes in the most recent annual period. Absolute crime volume is above the city average.

Is Portland affordable?

Portland is among the more affordable suburbs in Cape Town. With a median property value of R830K, it falls in the 28th 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 Portland?

The median monthly water cost per account in Portland is R395, 40% below the city median of R658. The median monthly electricity cost per account in Portland is R1,331, 30% below the median of CoCT-billed suburbs of R1,900.

What is the municipal debt in Portland?

As of May 2026, the average outstanding municipal debt per account in Portland is R8,602, 2% below the city median of R8,815. Figures include all account types, so may overstate household debt in areas with commercial activity.

Portland

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

Safety32/100Safer than 24% of Cape Town suburbs (relative)Property6-800kTop 72%Schools1693% matric pass rate Healthcare13 facilitiesmore access than most suburbs CouncilNear avg complaints1d median resolution TransportMinibus taxi coveragewell-connected area

Data current as of June 2026

The neighbourhood

What's it like to live here?

Portland is a neighbourhood in Cape Flats, 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 Portland, crime levels are stable based on the most recent quarterly comparison. Property values have grown above inflation between valuation rolls. The suburb is within a City-designated Development Focus Area, signalling future investment and infrastructure priorities.

What should buyers know?

Portland is well-served by schools, and matric results are broadly in line with the city average. In this area, the City typically resolves service complaints promptly. 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 Portland safe?

Higher reported crime

Higher crimeModerateLower crime

73rd percentile among 744 suburbs · Data: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026) · relative index, not an absolute safety measure

Very highAbsolute crime volume

15 168 reported crimes per year · city median: 4 280

↑ 1.3% vs Q3 2024

Crime statistics here reflect decades of underinvestment in infrastructure and services, not the character of the community. Crime levels have held steady over the past year. Contact crime (assault, robbery) dominates the reported crime profile.

Detailed data

Safety index (resident-adjusted) How is this calculated?: 32 / 100
Contact crime rate: 1,212,299 per 100k residents
Station population: 226 109
Harm rate (per resident): 31/100
Harm volume (absolute): 33/100
Data period: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026)
Source: SAPS via DataFirst · CC-BY 4.0

Methodology note: The safety index combines harm-per-resident and absolute harm volume using a composite formula. In high-density precincts, population size dilutes the per-capita rate while absolute harm remains high. Both dimensions are reflected in the composite score.

This data reflects crimes reported to SAPS Mitchells Plain precinct, which covers Portland 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 Portland?

28th percentile

City of Cape Town Development Focus Area

Portland is within the Mitchells Plain development focus area. The City of Cape Town has designated this area as a development priority, signalling committed public investment in infrastructure, services, and economic opportunity.

Source: CCT District Spatial Development Framework (January 2023). Development focus areas indicate City planning intent, not guaranteed timelines.

Planned development

23 hectares of land in Portland are earmarked for new development across 6 parcels, primarily Medium Density Residential (22ha) and High Density Residential (1ha).

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

The median property value in Portland is R830K. Property values have grown by 6.1% per year since 2018.

A 6.1% annual growth rate (CAGR) over the valuation period.

Value band distribution – Portland 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: R830,000
Value growth (CAGR 2018–2022): +6.1% per year↑ Growing
City-wide value percentile: 28th 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 Portland?

Computed from City of Cape Town billing data

Water

R395 / month

40% below city median

Electricity

R1 331 / month

30% below median of CoCT-billed suburbs

Water trend:Dec 2025: R403Jan 2026: R327Feb 2026: R395

Electricity trend:Dec 2025: R1 511Jan 2026: R1 147Feb 2026: R1 331

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

INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

Development activity in Portland

↑ Increasing

Portland had 68 building plans approved in the last three financial years (FY22/23 to FY24/25), averaging 23 per year. Most were renovations and extensions.

3-year approvals: 68
Annual average: 23/yr
Avg project value: R256K

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 Portland?

16 schools nearby

Portland has 16 schools within reach. The area matric pass rate is 93.4%, above the city median of 90.0%. Schools include Duneside Primary School.

Adjusted pass rate: 93.4%; City median: 90.0%
Schools contributing: 3; 629 candidates
Median quintile: Q5; Q4-Q5

Q5
Duneside Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 877 learners · 32.5:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Harvester Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 973 learners · 32.4:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Hazeldene Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 923 learners · 36.9:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Jamaicaweg Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 797 learners · 34.7:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Liesbeeck Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,104 learners · 33.5:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Mitchell'S Plain Prim
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,166 learners · 33.3:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Montagu Drive Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,082 learners · 33.8:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Parkhurst Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,231 learners · 35.2:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Portland Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 790 learners · 31.6:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Ridgeville Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,072 learners · 33.5:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Wespoort Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 977 learners · 33.7:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Westville Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 1,187 learners · 34.9:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Mondale High School
Public · Grades 8–12 · 1,303 learners · 32.6:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Portland Secondary School
Public · Grades 8–12 · 1,511 learners · 36:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
Q5
Westridge Secondary School
Public · Grades 8–12 · 1,268 learners · 35.2:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees apply
–
Beacon Skool
Public · Special needs · 279 learners · 9.6:1 learner-educator ratio
Specialist provision

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 Portland?

Vehicle-led mix

Portland has 46 minibus taxi routes, including routes to the CBD. The most common way people get to work is by private vehicle (50%).

Taxi connectivity

Well connected

46 routes

88th percentile · 42 destinations · CBD-connected

Routes pass through Portland but may not originate or terminate here. Connectivity index reflects geographic proximity to route corridors.

Cape town, Cape town (highlands dr, vanguard, n2), Cape town (via borcherds quarry & n2), Cape town (via merrydale), Cape town (via samora machel, vanguard, n2), Claremont (via merrydale, duinefontein & phillippi ring rd) +36 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 Portland – consider proximity to work when evaluating.

Private vehicle

50%

Walking

15%

MyCiTi bus

25%

Minibus taxi

10%

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 (50%)
Source: CCT Household Survey 2024

Source: City of Cape Town Open Data · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

What are living conditions in Portland?

Full municipal services

Portland has a service delivery index of 96 out of 100, above the city median of 84.5. 76% of dwellings are formal structures.

Computed from the City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey, Portland/Rocklands/Westridge survey group (118 households). direct.

› Adult food insecurity (25.8%) is 1.4× the city average of 18.3%.› Social grants reach 57% of households, providing a critical income safety net.

Food security

Adult food insecurity: 25.8%; City median: 18.3%
Child food insecurity: 13.4%; City median: 13.0%
Food insecurity prevalence: 26.2%; City median: 22.3%

Access to basic services

96City median: 85

Piped water: 91.4%
Flush toilet: 96.7%
Weekly refuse: 99.1%
Grid electricity: 98.5%

Housing & tenure – Mixed tenure community

76City median: 68

Formal dwellings: 75.8%
Owner-occupied: 52.4%
Rented: 19.9%

Environmental risk – Low risk exposure

10risk index · higher = greater risk · City median: 26

Flooding risk: 3.0%
Fire risk: 1.1%
Violent crime: 0.9%
Non-violent crime: 2.8%

Economic structure – Moderate material pressure

Food spending share: 38.0%; Share of income spent on food
City median: 35.3%
Comfortable, moderate discretionary income · 50th percentile
Hardship dimensions: 2; Areas of material need (out of 8)
Grant income share: 57.0%; of households receiving grants
Monthly savings: R34; Weighted mean per household

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Home fibre: 72.6%; City median: 46.5%
Mobile only: 24.4%
No access: 3.0%

Demographics & community

Avg household size: 4.3 people
Avg children per household: 1.3

Asset ownership

Computer access: 50.8%
Fridge ownership: 93.5%
Property ownership: 0.0%
Geyser ownership: 73.3%
Borehole access: 4.0%

Home-based economy

Home-based business: 10.8%; of households operate a home-based business
WFH part-time: 3.2%

Source: City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey. Survey group: Portland/Rocklands/Westridge. direct.

Energy access

19%

Free basic electricity

5.6%

City median

19% of electricity connections in Portland 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. 13,221 connections.

Source: City of Cape Town household survey · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

How responsive are municipal services in Portland?

Highly responsive

The City of Cape Town resolves service requests in Portland in a median of 1 day, compared to the city-wide median of 1 day. This is based on 10,434 service requests to the City of Cape Town.

Computed from City of Cape Town service request data

Infrastructure problems get fixed fast. The median resolution under one day means Portland residents experience responsive municipal service – a signal of well-maintained infrastructure and efficient complaint routing.

Median days to resolve
City median: 1

83rd

Percentile
across Cape Town

37%

Resolved
same day

Single street light out (8%)Power outage (7%)Street lights out (6%)Indigent Application (5%)Customer : Reconnection Request (5%)

Service requests logged: 10 434
Requests resolved: 82% (8 600 of 10 434)
75% resolved within: 4 days
90% resolved within: 12 days
Source: CCT service request database

Community & faith

Places of worship

19 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?: 1472.9 per 1,000 households
Total complaints: 10 411
Unresolved: 18.0%

Top issues: Single street light out (819), Power outage (705), Street lights out (589)

Source: City of Cape Town C3 service requests

MUNICIPAL FINANCE

Municipal debt in Portland

2% below city median

Computed from City of Cape Town financial data

Municipal debt in Portland averages R8 602 per account, compared to the city median of R8 815.

R8 602

per account

2% below city median

Trend:Mar 2026: R8 495Apr 2026: R8 602May 2026: R8 614

Breakdown as of May 2026

Property rates: R6 583 533
Electricity: R5 763 933
Water: R16 843 037
Refuse: R5 148 858
Sewerage: R6 534 731
City-wide cleaning: R109 133
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 Portland?

Well served

Healthcare access

13 within 5km

Nearest public: Eastridge Clinic · Community Day Centre · 0.9 km
Nearest private: Melomed Mitchells Plain · Private Hospital · 0.9 km
Public facilities: 12
Private facilities: 1

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

The nearest fire station to Portland is Mitchells Plain, 2.0 km away. The nearest public pool is Westridge Swimming Pool, 1.3 km away. The nearest clinic is Eastridge Clinic, 0.9 km away.

Nearest clinic: Eastridge Clinic · 0.9 km
Nearest library: Mitchell'S Plain · 0.9 km
Nearest park / open space: Nile Way Park · 0.48 km

Fire station

km to nearest
fire station

Mitchells Plain

divisional hq

within-5km

response
category

Cape Town has 32 fire stations serving 744 suburbs. Source: CCT open data.

Public swimming pools

1.3

km to nearest
public pool

pools
within 5 km

pools
within 10 km

Nearest pool: Westridge Swimming Pool

Cape Town operates 35 public swimming pools. Source: CCT open data.

Distances straight-line from suburb centroid.

Source: City of Cape Town facility registry

Nearby suburbs

Mitchells Plain CBD797m

44→

Westridge - Mitchells Plain1.2km · R792K

33→

Eastridge1.6km · R520K

31→

Rocklands1.6km · R680K

30→

Beacon Valley1.7km · R560K

31→

Similar safety & property profile

Similar suburbs

5 matches

Broadlands VillageR4-600k

Explore surrounding areas

Bordering suburbs

6 adjacent

Suburbs that border or sit adjacent to Portland. Each has its own safety profile, property market, and service data.

Eastridge Lentegeur Mitchells Plain Cbd Rocklands Westridge Mitchells Plain Woodlands

Portland

What's it like to live here?

How is the area changing?

What should buyers know?

Is Portland safe?

What do properties cost in Portland?

What do utilities cost in Portland?

Development activity in Portland

How are schools in Portland?

How connected is Portland?

Taxi connectivity

Commute mode share

What are living conditions in Portland?

Food security

Access to basic services

Housing & tenure – Mixed tenure community

Environmental risk – Low risk exposure

Economic structure – Moderate material pressure

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Demographics & community

Asset ownership

Home-based economy

How responsive are municipal services in Portland?

Places of worship

Complaints & top issues

Municipal debt in Portland

What services are near Portland?

Healthcare access

Fire station

Public swimming pools

Nearby suburbs

Similar suburbs

Bordering suburbs

Related articles

Help us improve Portland

Portland

What's it like to live here?

How is the area changing?

What should buyers know?

Is Portland safe?

What do properties cost in Portland?

What do utilities cost in Portland?

Development activity in Portland

How are schools in Portland?

How connected is Portland?

Taxi connectivityRanks this suburb's taxi route access against all 744 Cape Town suburbs. Based on routes matched by name and within 500m of suburb centre. Large suburbs may have higher actual connectivity than shown.Full methodology ›

Commute mode share

What are living conditions in Portland?

Food security

Access to basic services

Housing & tenure – Mixed tenure community

Environmental risk – Low risk exposure

Economic structure – Moderate material pressure

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Demographics & community

Asset ownership

Home-based economy

How responsive are municipal services in Portland?

Places of worship

Complaints & top issues

Municipal debt in Portland

What services are near Portland?

Healthcare access

Fire station

Public swimming pools

Nearby suburbs

Similar suburbs

Bordering suburbs

Related articles

Help us improve Portland

Get updates for Portland

Taxi connectivity