Muizenberg Beachfront Upgrade Nears Completion for December Festive Season Reopening

Source: Pexels. Muizenberg’s iconic colourful beach huts are being replaced as part of the beachfront upgrade, with new structures designed to preserve their historic appearance and character.

According to Chand Consultants, the project’s community engagement consultants, the beachfront is expected to reopen in phases.

The first phase will restore access to the western parking area, St James Walkway, station forecourt and beach access points, with the beach targeted to reopen to the public by mid-December.

Seawall and facilities take shape: The project, which began in February 2025, involves replacing ageing seawalls, improving beachfront infrastructure and upgrading public amenities, including parking areas, ablution facilities, the promenade and beachfront buildings.

Already, the old sandstone seawall has been demolished, the eight iconic beach huts have been removed from their current location - as the new upgraded promenade will be further inland (the setback is approximately 2m) - and beach cleaning is under way ahead of backfilling.

Work on the western parking area is progressing, with concrete benches installed, layer works nearly complete, and kerbing and paving under way. Streetlights have also been installed.

Foundations for the new central ablution facility are being cast, while refurbishment of the Shark Spotters and Adaptive Surfing buildings continues. Internal walls are under construction, and the exterior of the Shark Spotters building is being prepared for painting.

At Surfer’s Corner, snagging work is under way before the area opens to the public. This includes sandblasting the revetment.

Source: City of Cape Town. A rendering of the Muizenberg beachfront upgrade, showcasing planned coastal protection measures, improved public amenities and the preservation of the iconic colourful beach huts.

Next phase of beachfront enhancements: Upcoming work includes removing the remaining sections of the old seawall, planting indigenous seedlings on the far and eastern sides of the beach, and constructing the superstructure of the new ablution facility.

Work will also continue on planters and the Surfer’s Pergola, which is targeted for completion within the next month.

The project team intends to reuse suitable sandstone from the demolished seawall in the new beachfront landscape, including the playground and stone-clad walls, while it will also preserve the beachfront’s iconic character, including its new colourful beach huts.

"The precast step and promenade units will provide coastal protection while also providing beach access at varied levels. Most of the steps will be below beach level and invisible to visitors as it will be buried under sand under normal conditions," said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

Meanwhile, 'The eight removed huts will be replaced with eight new huts of improved quality for increased durability, while following the historic design and pattern arrangement as part of the upgrade project."

The new huts will be located at the central plaza where they will also serve as a wind shelter for the central shower area.

"Simply moving the existing huts was not feasible as they needed to be dismantled, stored, and reconstructed and were likely to have been damaged during this process," Andrews said.

"The beach huts further down the coastline, closer to the river mouth, are not impacted and will remain in place."