St James has a safety index of 30 out of 100 (Higher reported crime). This is a relative measure comparing reported crime across Cape Town suburbs, not an absolute safety guarantee. The Muizenberg precinct recorded approximately 3,428 crimes in the most recent annual period. Absolute crime volume is below the city average.

Is St James affordable?

St James is among the higher-value suburbs in Cape Town. The median property value of R8.5M places it in the 98th 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 St James?

The median monthly water cost per account in St James is R1,800, 173% above the city median of R658. The median monthly electricity cost per account in St James is R2,531, 33% above the median of CoCT-billed suburbs of R1,900.

What is the municipal debt in St James?

As of May 2026, the average outstanding municipal debt per account in St James is R11,090, 26% above the city median of R8,815. Figures include all account types, so may overstate household debt in areas with commercial activity.

St James

A suburb with higher reported crime, among the highest property values in Cape Town, and responsive municipal services relative to Cape Town.

Safety30/100Precinct estimate only · ↑ Worsening Property5-6MTop 2%Schools1nearby Healthcare3 facilitiesmoderate access CouncilBelow avg complaints1d median resolution TransportMinibus taxi coveragewell-connected area

Data current as of June 2026

The neighbourhood

What's it like to live here?

St James is a neighbourhood in False Bay, Cape Town, where property values sit in the upper quartile for Cape Town. The area's safety profile is below the city average for reported safety. There is a place of worship in the area. The dominant commuter mode is private vehicle.

How is the area changing?

In St James, crime is rising based on the most recent quarterly comparison. Property values have remained relatively flat between valuation rolls.

What should buyers know?

St James is served by schools within reach. In this area, the City typically resolves service complaints promptly. The suburb has several healthcare facilities within reasonable distance.

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 St James safe?

Higher reported crime

Read this before the score.

Score may be conservative for this suburb. St James is a quiet, affluent seaside suburb within the Muizenberg precinct. The score of 26 does not reflect conditions in St James specifically. See details.
Low confidence: precinct-level data shared with 8 suburbs. This suburb's safety index is based on data for the entire Muizenberg precinct. The precinct covers a diverse mix of communities, so this score may not reflect St James specifically. This suburb has been excluded from safety-dependent rankings.
Estimate only. Police crime data covers the whole Muizenberg precinct, not St James individually. Because St James makes up a very small share of this precinct's population, we cannot reliably separate its crime from the rest of the precinct. The score may not reflect St James's actual conditions.

Higher crimeModerateLower crime

19th percentile among 744 suburbs · precinct-level data, may not reflect this suburb · Data: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026) · relative index, not an absolute safety measure

LowAbsolute crime volume

3 428 reported crimes per year · city median: 4 280

↑ 7.8% vs Q3 2024

Rate and volume tell different stories.

The per-capita rate appears high, but actual crime volume (3 428) is below the city median.

Crime is higher than most of Cape Town and has been increasing 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?: 30 / 100Limited data — why?
Contact crime rate: 580,801 per 100k residents
Station population: 52 856
Harm rate (per resident): 25/100
Harm volume (absolute): 37/100
Data period: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026)
Source: SAPS via DataFirst · CC-BY 4.0

Precinct confidence note: St James is a quiet, affluent seaside suburb within the Muizenberg precinct. The score of 26 does not reflect conditions in St James specifically.

The safety index shown above reflects the Muizenberg precinct as a whole.St James's actual crime conditions may be better than this score suggests.

Full methodology

This data reflects crimes reported to SAPS Muizenberg precinct, which covers St James 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 St James?

98th percentile

The median property value in St James is R8.5M. Property values have grown by 0.4% per year since 2018.

A 0.4% annual growth rate (CAGR) over the valuation period.

Value band distribution – St James properties (GV2022)

3.5-4M

4-4.5M

4.5-5M

5-6M ◀

6-7M

7-8M

8-9M

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: R8,510,000
Value growth (CAGR 2018–2022): +0.4% per year
City-wide value percentile: 98th percentile
Dominant value band: 5-6M
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 St James?

Computed from City of Cape Town billing data

Water

R1 800 / month

173% above city median

Electricity

R2 531 / month

33% above median of CoCT-billed suburbs

Water trend:Dec 2025: R1 800Jan 2026: R1 872Feb 2026: R1 315

Electricity trend:Dec 2025: R2 531Jan 2026: R2 669Feb 2026: R2 354

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

INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

Development activity in St James

↓ Decreasing

St James had 25 building plans approved in the last three financial years (FY22/23 to FY24/25), averaging 8 per year. Most were renovations and extensions.

3-year approvals: 25
Annual average: 8/yr
Avg project value: R830K

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 St James?

1 school nearby

St James has 1 school within reach. Schools include Star Of The Sea Convent Primary School.

Matric results: pass rate data currently covers 157 of 744 suburbs.St James will surface when DBE suburb-level data is processed in the next pipeline run. About coverage ›

Q5
Star Of The Sea Convent Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 405 learners · 22.5:1 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 St James?

Private vehicle dominant

St James has 10 minibus taxi routes. The most common way people get to work is by private vehicle (84%).

Taxi connectivity

Moderate connectivity

10 routes

40th percentile · 7 destinations

Fish hoek, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Muizenberg-fish hoek, Retreat, Vrygrond +1 more

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

Commute mode share

Anyone relocating to St James needs a car. The 84% private vehicle share is a socioeconomic profile signal, not a walkability score – in working-class Cape Town suburbs the same walking rate indicates structural necessity. Here it is lifestyle choice.

Private vehicle

84%

Walking

14%

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 (84%)
Source: CCT Household Survey 2024

Source: City of Cape Town Open Data · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

What are living conditions in St James?

Full municipal services

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

Computed from the City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey, Kalk Bay/St James survey group (67 households). direct.

› No material deprivation recorded across any of the 8 measured dimensions.› High digital connectivity: 88% of households have home internet access.› 15% of households have experienced flooding, indicating elevated environmental vulnerability.

Access to basic services

99City median: 85

Piped water: 100.0%
Flush toilet: 98.4%
Weekly refuse: 96.9%
Grid electricity: 100.0%

Housing & tenure – Owner-dominated residential area

100City median: 68

Formal dwellings: 100.0%
Owner-occupied: 70.1%
Rented: 19.6%

Environmental risk – Elevated risk exposure

47risk index · higher = greater risk · City median: 26

Flooding risk: 15.4%
Fire risk: 13.7%
Violent crime: 0.0%
Non-violent crime: 7.4%

Economic structure – Low material stress

Food spending share: 39.8%; Share of income spent on food
City median: 35.3%
Comfortable, moderate discretionary income · 45th percentile
Hardship dimensions: 0; Areas of material need (out of 8)
Grant income share: 8.0%; of households receiving grants
Monthly savings: R500; Weighted mean per household

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Home fibre: 87.8%; City median: 46.5%
Mobile only: 10.7%
No access: 1.6%

Food security

Adult food insecurity: 1.6%; City median: 18.3%
Child food insecurity: 1.6%; City median: 13.0%
Food insecurity prevalence: 1.6%; City median: 22.3%

Demographics & community

Avg household size: 2.1 people
Avg children per household: 0.1

Asset ownership

Computer access: 80.4%
Fridge ownership: 96.9%
Property ownership: 7.1%
Geyser ownership: 88.2%
Borehole access: 20.9%

Home-based economy

Home-based business: 13.4%; of households operate a home-based business
WFH full-time: 3.0%

Source: City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey. Survey group: Kalk Bay/St James. direct.

Energy access

Free basic electricity

5.6%

City median

2% of electricity connections in St James 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. 547 connections.

Source: City of Cape Town household survey · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

How responsive are municipal services in St James?

Highly responsive

The City of Cape Town resolves service requests in St James in a median of 1 day, compared to the city-wide median of 1 day. This is based on 1,194 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 St James residents experience responsive municipal service – a signal of well-maintained infrastructure and efficient complaint routing.

Median days to resolve
City median: 1

90th

Percentile
across Cape Town

31%

Resolved
same day

Power outage (15%)Street lights out (10%)Single street light out (9%)Sewerage overflow (7%)Water leak (3%)

Service requests logged: 1 194
Requests resolved: 76% (903 of 1 194)
75% resolved within: 5 days
90% resolved within: 13 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: 1 192
Unresolved: 24.0%

Top issues: Power outage (179), Street lights out (114), Single street light out (111)

Source: City of Cape Town C3 service requests

MUNICIPAL FINANCE

Municipal debt in St James

26% above city median

Computed from City of Cape Town financial data

Municipal debt in St James averages R11 090 per account, compared to the city median of R8 815.

R11 090

per account

26% above city median

Trend:Mar 2026: R10 125Apr 2026: R13 148May 2026: R11 090

Breakdown as of May 2026

Property rates: R1 308 037
Electricity: R539 177
Water: R267 990
Refuse: R52 790
Sewerage: R138 855
City-wide cleaning: R166 299
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 St James?

Some services nearby

Healthcare access

3 within 5km

Nearest public: Muizenberg Clinic · Community Day Centre · 1.8 km
Nearest private: Melomed Tokai · Private Hospital · 5.7 km
Public facilities: 3
Private facilities: 0

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

The nearest fire station to St James is Fish Hoek, 3.5 km away. The nearest public pool is Muizenberg Swimming Pool, 2.0 km away. The nearest clinic is Muizenberg Clinic, 1.8 km away.

Nearest clinic: Muizenberg Clinic · 1.8 km
Nearest library: Muizenberg · 1.8 km
Nearest park / open space: Upper Quarterdeck Road Pos · 0.32 km

Fire station

3.5

km to nearest
fire station

Fish Hoek

community station

within-5km

response
category

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

Public swimming pools

km to nearest
public pool

pools
within 5 km

pools
within 10 km

Nearest pool: Muizenberg 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

Kalk Bay1.5km · R6.1M

44→

Clovelly2.5km · R3.7M

100→

Muizenberg3.4km · R1.8M

28→

Lakeside3.5km · R2.6M

32→

Fish Hoek3.9km · R2.5M

41→

Similar safety & property profile

Similar suburbs

5 matches

GardensR2-2.5M

33→

Cape Town City CentreR1.5-2M

25→

TamboerskloofR2.5-3M

37→

BlaauwbergstrandR3-3.5M

33→

OranjezichtR2.5-3M

38→

Explore surrounding areas

Bordering suburbs

3 adjacent

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

Cape Farms District H Kalk Bay Muizenberg

St James

What's it like to live here?

How is the area changing?

What should buyers know?

Is St James safe?

What do properties cost in St James?

What do utilities cost in St James?

Development activity in St James

How are schools in St James?

How connected is St James?

Taxi connectivity

Commute mode share

What are living conditions in St James?

Access to basic services

Housing & tenure – Owner-dominated residential area

Environmental risk – Elevated risk exposure

Economic structure – Low material stress

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Food security

Demographics & community

Asset ownership

Home-based economy

How responsive are municipal services in St James?

Places of worship

Complaints & top issues

Municipal debt in St James

What services are near St James?

Healthcare access

Fire station

Public swimming pools

Nearby suburbs

Similar suburbs

Bordering suburbs

Related articles

Help us improve St James

St James

What's it like to live here?

How is the area changing?

What should buyers know?

Is St James safe?

What do properties cost in St James?

What do utilities cost in St James?

Development activity in St James

How are schools in St James?

How connected is St James?

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 St James?

Access to basic services

Housing & tenure – Owner-dominated residential area

Environmental risk – Elevated risk exposure

Economic structure – Low material stress

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Food security

Demographics & community

Asset ownership

Home-based economy

How responsive are municipal services in St James?

Places of worship

Complaints & top issues

Municipal debt in St James

What services are near St James?

Healthcare access

Fire station

Public swimming pools

Nearby suburbs

Similar suburbs

Bordering suburbs

Related articles

Help us improve St James

Get updates for St James

Taxi connectivity