New appointment-only Home Affairs office proposed for Cape Town Civic Centre to tackle booking issues

A proposed appointment-only Home Affairs office at the Cape Town Civic Centre is set to go before Council in March, amid growing concerns over access and booking system challenges at existing branches. Ongoing concerns over the Department of Home Affairs’ appointment booking system have added urgency to plans for a new, appointment-only Home Affairs office at the Cape Town Civic Centre, proposed under a partnership between the City of Cape Town and the Department of Home Affairs. The proposed facility follows ongoing public frustration and scrutiny around access to Home Affairs services, including complaints about booking system failures, confusion over confirmed appointments and long queues at some Cape Town branches.

These concerns were amplified by a recent viral incident at the Tygervalley Home Affairs office, which renewed questions about how appointments are verified and managed. Against this backdrop, the City confirmed it was approached by the Ministry of Home Affairs, via the Office of the Mayor, to establish a dedicated appointment-based office on the second floor of the Civic Centre in Hertzog Boulevard in the CBD. The item is expected to be submitted to Council for consideration and approval in March, if all goes as planned.

If approved, Home Affairs would enter into a formal lease agreement with the City, after which the department would be granted early occupation to begin internal construction and operational readiness. City officials said the initiative formed part of a broader effort between local and national government to improve access to essential civic services and relieve pressure on existing Home Affairs offices, including the busy Barrack Street branch.