The Cape Town Municipal Planning Tribunal is facing a new complex challenge: it is reviewing a project for a hyperscale data center near the city's airport, amid ongoing concerns regarding water and energy supply.
The Cape Town Municipal Planning Tribunal is facing a new complex challenge: it is reviewing a project for a hyperscale data center near the city's airport, amid ongoing concerns regarding water and energy supply.
The Legal Resources Centre stated that it will represent the Housing Assembly and Foxglove during the Tribunal hearings on objections related to the proposed Equinix data center project in King Air Industria this Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
Members of the Housing Assembly also plan to hold a demonstration outside the Cape Town City Centre at 12 Hertzog Boulevard while the Tribunal meeting takes place online.
The most acute dispute concerns the land use application pertaining to the King David Golf Club field. The LRC points out that public documents do not sufficiently detail issues regarding water usage, electricity demand, diesel generators, fuel storage, air pollution, cooling systems, traffic, or the buildings themselves.
These issues touch upon virtually all key matters facing Cape Town. The LRC notes that the submitted documents describe the project as having a capacity of 174 MVA, whereas Reuters reported that documents they reviewed indicated a combined projected energy consumption of two data centers up to 160 megawatts. Furthermore, the LRC emphasizes that MVA and MW measure different parameters and cannot be considered interchangeable.
The Housing Assembly represents over twenty communities in the Western Cape, many of which continue to face issues with unstable access to housing, sanitation, water, and electricity. Their argument is not to completely reject digital infrastructure in South Africa, but rather that the city should not advance a project of this scale without clear public accounting of what it will require from the energy and water systems.
Foxglove's Co-Executive Director, Rosa Carling, stated that 'there was simply not enough information to make a decision on a project of this scale,' citing gaps in data regarding water consumption, emissions, electricity demand, diesel generators, air pollution, noise, and the buildings themselves.
Equinix refutes this interpretation, asserting that it has completed the purchase of land in Cape Town but has not yet submitted any zoning plans for the site. The company stated that 'if we decide to proceed with any development, we commit to being fully transparent and providing detailed information to all relevant stakeholders in a timely manner,' according to Business Insider Africa.
Deputy Mayor and Mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, noted that the city needs to assess the application together with comments and objections from departments and stakeholders.
Nevertheless, Equinix is a major player that is not simply appearing in the city with a sketch and a dream. As TechCentral reported in April, the US-listed company planned to add 160 MW of data center capacity in South Africa as part of a R7.5 billion investment plan. Thus, today's meeting is crucial for their future plans.