Rates Watch (Pty) Ltd

The City thanks pensioners, social grant recipients and indigent residents who have applied for relief for their patience. Our teams are currently processing high volumes of applications.

These residents may be charged in full this month, but can expect to see a refund on their next account once their applications have been processed, as the benefits will be backdated to 1 July.

Grace periods and cut off dates for applications:

Rates rebates – renewals (every three years after a new General Valuation)

APPLIED FOR RENEWAL BEFORE 1 JULY 2026

All pensioners and social grant recipients who submitted applications to renew their benefits before 1 July 2026 are thanked for their patience while their applications are being processed. Once approved, their benefits will be backdated to 1 July 2026.

THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN: Pensioner relief applications to be submitted before 31 August The City thanks pensioners, social grant recipients and indigent residents who have applied for relief for their patience. Our teams are currently processing high volumes of applications.

This comment is from a valuation and rates policy perspective, with reference to the City of Tshwane’s 2024/25 Rates Policy, the Settlement Order granted on 4 August 2026 in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria (case numbers 126223/2025 and 54083/2026), and the Kleinfontein Share Block Media Statement dated 7 August 2026.

Order Provisions

- Kleinfontein must submit a complete land development application by 31 August 2026 for the proposed township of Kleinfontein Extension 1.

- The application will be treated as a new application and will follow the standard SPLUMA/by-law process, including full public participation.

- Pending the outcome, no further construction/development may take place (except for required infrastructure), and no new share blocks may be issued.

- The order does not oblige the Municipality to approve non-compliant or applications lacking merit.

Comment on the Kleinfontein Settlement Order This comment is from a valuation and rates policy perspective, with reference to the City of Tshwane’s 2024/25 Rates Policy

Join us on 3 and 4 September 2026 at A Lodge at Bloem, Van Blerk Avenue, Groenvlei, Bloemfontein, for two days of insight into the evolving landscape of agricultural and renewable property valuation.

Key topics include: Wind & Solar Farms as Multipurpose Properties, MPRA Valuation of Wind & Solar Farms, Expropriation of Linear Real Estate for Infrastructure Expansion, Assessing Agricultural Potential of Fallow Dryland.

Gain valuable insights from industry experts and explore the future of agricultural property valuation.

The City of Johannesburg has concluded a series of stakeholder engagement sessions aimed at providing residents, businesses, property owners and members of the media with greater insight into the approved 2026/2027 municipal tariffs and annual budget.

SAPOA - City of Johannesburg engages stakeholders on approved 2026/2027 tariffs

Residential property owners who are pensioners, or individuals certified as physically or mentally disabled are reminded to apply for the 2026/2027 Pensioners' Rebate.Successful applications will qualify for a 45% reduction on property rates, in addition to the standard residential property rebates available to all qualifying property owners.Current beneficiaries receiveing the 45% rebate are urged to reapply by the 30 June 2026 to ensure that the rebate continues without interuption, subject to ongoing eligibility.

New applications will open on 1 July 2026 and close on the 30 September 2026.

Residents are urged to check the Mogale City Website or follow their social media pages for more official updates.

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The Western Cape High Court has handed ratepayers a significant victory, declaring three charges introduced by the City of Cape Town in its 2025/2026 budget unlawful and invalid.

The charges — a city-wide cleaning charge, a fixed water charge, and a fixed sewerage charge — were all calculated according to property value bands rather than actual consumption or use and/or the costs associated with rendering the service. SAPOA and AfriForum brought separate applications challenging the charges, with the Good Party granted leave to intervene in support of ratepayers.

The Court found the charges unlawful on several grounds. Most fundamentally, municipalities charging fees for services must comply with section 74 of the Municipal Systems Act (Act 32 of 2000), which requires that tariff policies reflect the principle that users pay generally in proportion to their use of a service.

Cape Town's Property-Fixed Charges Declared Invalid and Unlawful by High Court – Late amendments to the 2026/27 Draft Budget The Western Cape High Court has handed ratepayers a significant victory, declaring three charges introduced by the City of Cape Town in its 2025/2026 budget unlawful and invalid.

The South African Property Owners’ Association (Sapoa) has raised concerns over the Mangaung metro’s plans to change the structure of its waste removal tariffs for non-residential customers and link it to the value of their property.

This follows Sapoa, which represents commercial property owners countrywide, having successfully challenged the City of Cape Town’s city-wide cleaning levy and fixed charges for water and sanitation for 2026/27, which were structured in a similar fashion.

The Western Cape High Court recently declared this unlawful and set the tariffs side.

The City of Cape Town has until Friday to indicate whether it will try to appeal the ruling or adjust its budget, which must be implemented on 1 July.

SAPOA warns Mangaung: Don’t link tariffs to property value The association argues this approach is unlawful, pointing to a previous Western Cape High Court ruling that struck down similar tariffs in Cape Town.