Cape Town floods — active response
Help us map what's hit. Help direct where help goes.
Timbuk2 AI activated a rapid, community-powered mapping initiative when the storms hit Cape Town. The aim is to make overlooked flood damage visible — so support follows evidence, not assumption.
- 316 reviewed reports
- 40+ community contributors
- 13–19 May days mapped (2026)
- 13 community clusters
All figures below refer only to reports that passed review and were approved by the Timbuk2 AI team.
What the reports show
The largest share of evidence is flooded homes and displaced families — but the reviewed reports also surface blocked roads, sanitation and electricity risks, damaged public facilities, and early recovery activity.
Where the damage concentrates
Coverage spans 13 community clusters across Cape Town and the wider Western Cape. The strongest concentrations are in the Cape Flats and township corridors that often only get a brief news moment.
Voices from the ground
From the reviewed reports — in the words of the contributors who sent them.
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People are struggling to sleep, their beds are wet because the water came inside their houses.
Site B, Khayelitsha -
The whole roof came inside the house. The whole roof is inside the house. The damage is very bad.
Mfuleni / Waterways -
We can't move or go to shop. The water is full in the road and also the kids did not go to school.
Samora Machel
What's not in the headlines
Issues that the broader flood coverage tends to miss — but the community reports made visible.
- Wet homes after the rain moved on
- Blocked drains and standing water
- Sewage entering homes and toilets
- Children unable to attend school
- Mobility and transport disruption
- Shifted poles and electricity risk
- Wind and roof damage
- Small business and trader losses
What happens after you join
- Quick intro on WhatsApp. A short message explains what we need and how to send it.
- Simple field prompts. When you're in a flood-hit area, send a short report — photo, location, what's happening on the ground.
- Your contribution reaches NGOs. The mapped evidence feeds the on-the-ground organisations responding to the floods.
Want to help with money instead?
We don't take donations directly. These are vetted local organisations responding to the floods on the ground — your money goes straight to them.
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Gift of the Givers Foundation
Hot meals, blankets, hygiene packs, mattresses and rebuilding after fires and floods.
- NPO 032-031
- PBO 930018993
- Khayelitsha
- Du Noon
- Langa
- Gugulethu
- +7 more
-
Mustadafin Foundation
Disaster relief, around 25,000 meals a day, ECD and community development across the Cape Flats since 1986.
- NPO 025-752
- PBO 930028645
- Khayelitsha
- Mitchells Plain (Tafelsig)
- Philippi
- Strand
- +4 more
-
Ladles of Love
Food relief: ~10,000 meals a day for under-7s via 120+ women-led ECDs, plus dignity kitchens for displaced families.
- Khayelitsha
- Mitchells Plain
- Langa
- Gugulethu
-
Living Hope
Disaster relief, healthcare, ECD and skills training in the deep-south townships often missed by metro-focused NGOs.
- Section 18A
- Masiphumelele
- Ocean View
- Capricorn
- Vrygrond
- +3 more
-
Trust for Community Outreach and Education
Food parcels and flood-relief kits (mattresses, blankets, hygiene packs). Delivering hot meals in the 2026 storm response.
- Langa
- Khayelitsha
- Western Cape rural farming communities
-
Ikamva Labantu
ECD training, elderly care, after-school clubs and food security. 60+ years deep in Cape Town townships; 90%+ of staff live in the communities they serve.
- Langa
- Khayelitsha
- Nyanga
- Gugulethu
- +2 more
-
Just Grace
Holistic high-school support, psychosocial support and immediate community crisis relief. Embedded inside Langa since 2012.
- Langa
-
Urban-Rural Development & Capacity Building Project
Disaster-relief drives for fire and flood victims — clothing, blankets, books — and community development. 21+ years in Langa.
- Langa
- Philippi
- Khayelitsha
-
Mosadie Gives Back
Grassroots soup kitchen serving around 40,000 meals a month directly in flood-hit Tafelsig.
- Tafelsig
- Mitchells Plain
-
TLC Outreach Projects
Youth-at-risk care, ECD for informal settlements, Winter Blanket Drive and fire-relief distribution. Led aid in the Du Noon Site 5 fire response.
- Du Noon
- Table View
- Radar Bush
- Wolwerivier
- +1 more
-
Sisters Incorporated
Serving meals and offering clothing assistance to flood-affected households.
- NPO 003-160
- Khayelitsha
Questions, partnerships, or press?
Timbuk2 AI is currently engaging local authorities, NGOs and disaster response teams. If you're a journalist, a community organisation, or a partner who wants to plug in, reach out.
Contact us