One smart city in South Africa that already has people living in it

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22-01-2026
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My Broadband
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Barely a brick has been moved at most of the so-called “smart cities” that various senior government officials have promised to build over the last decade.

However, Mooikloof Smart City, next to Garsfontein Road on the outskirts of eastern Tshwane, already has several completed multi-storey apartment blocks, some of which are already occupied.

The R84-billion project was officially launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2020 as a Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) between Balwin Properties and the national government.

The multi-purpose development has been positioned as an equality-promoting venture, offering more affordable accommodation and amenities and providing faster access to major business districts.

The project is regarded as a smart city due to its integrated, master planned approach that aligns infrastructure, technology, sustainability and service delivery at scale.

“The development embeds energy and water efficiency, digital connectivity, and centralised utilities from inception, enabling more predictable operating performance and lower lifecycle costs,” Balwin said.

“Land use, mobility, amenities and residential density are coordinated to reduce friction, improve liveability and optimise resource consumption.”

As a SIP, the public works department is expected to pay for all its external bulk services installations, such as water, sewer, electricity, roads and stormwater.

However, Balwin told MyBroadband that it had not yet received the funding earmarked by the government for the project, which had delayed progress significantly.

Nonetheless, Balwin has commenced the first phase of the project — the construction of residential units at Greenkloof Eco-Estate. The first units were already occupied in 2025.

MyBroadband visited the Mooikloof Smart City site on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, to get a first-hand look at progress.

From our count, Greenkloof Eco-Estate had 16 completed four-storey apartment blocks and two more at an advanced stage of construction.

Each unit has a dedicated parking lot, while certain ground units have private gardens. Units are priced from R659,900 for a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment.

That goes up to R979,900 for a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom unit, and R1,249,900 for a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment.

Because Greenkloof has IFC EDGE Advanced certification, homeowners can qualify for an additional interest rate reduction of between 0.25% and 0.75% on their standard bond qualifying rate.

“This has resulted in approximately R80 million in cumulative interest savings for homeowners across apartments sold within Balwin’s portfolio during the 2025 financial year,” the developer said.

Greenkloof Eco-Estate

Balwin told MyBroadband it had already sold 440 units by 21 January 2026 and that construction of more units — including a dedicated rental section called The Kloof — was progressing as planned.

Main access is provided through a wide, eight-lane entrance that exits from a new dual-carriageway street called Impala Road with double-lane roundabouts.

The estate is surrounded by a tall fence consisting of a mix of pillars and mesh steel. Electric fencing and multiple CCTV cameras are installed for added security.

The other facilities that have been completed were the Padel courts directly next to Garsfontein Road, about a kilometre up the road towards Pretoria.

The Padel centre has been operating since 2025 and includes five courts, a coffee shop, restrooms, a kids’ play area, a relaxation area, and an equipment and apparel store.

Balwin told MyBroadband that the courts will be converted to an indoor venue in the second phase of its development, planned for 2026.

The facility is also set to be expanded into a broader Community Sports Centre, comprising a fully equipped indoor gym, multipurpose courts for basketball, netball, and five-a-side soccer and pool facilities.

Outdoor running and cycling tracks will be integrated into the greenbelt at a later stage.

Mooikloof Padel courts

Opposite the Padel courts were construction vehicles and builders hard at work on a site that will become the Greengate Shopping Centre, which Balwin expects to launch in April 2027.

The 15,000m² shopping centre is being built on behalf of Dorpstraat and will include a Checkers, Dis-Chem, Woolworths Food, restaurants, take-away outlets, boutique stores, ATMs, dry cleaning services, and electric vehicle charging bays.

One of the construction firms on the site was Jodan Construction, the company responsible for rehabilitating and repairing a sinkhole near the intersection of the N1 and R21 in recent years.

Balwin also plans to build a service station on a street corner between the Padel courts and the shopping centre. A second convenience retail outlet along an upgraded Zwavelpoort road is also on the cards.

The road will connect Garsfontein with Bushveld Joy Street near another one of Balwin’s developments — Mooikloof Eco-Estate.

To the west of our viewpoint of the construction site was the Mooikloof Training Centre, another new facility that will support skills development and vocational training services.

Balwin told MyBroadband that the development of two schools, a fuel station, and a fast-food drive through is underway. These are expected to be completed in 2027.

“The schools, comprising primary and secondary education facilities, are expected to accommodate approximately 2,000 learners each,” the developer said.

As it stands, the overall feasibility value of the Mooikloof Smart City development amounts to approximately R2 billion, excluding VAT.

Balwin said the rate of unit sales will determine the rate of construction, but based on current demand, the project will take approximately 10 to 15 years to develop to completion.