New airport and a R10-billion upgrade for one of South Africa’s biggest cities

Cape Town is set to receive a brand-new international airport, as well as a R10-billion upgrade to its main airport.

The new site is the Cape Winelands Airport, which is scheduled to open its doors in early 2028.

It is primarily intended to serve as an alternative to Cape Town International Airport, offering travellers more direct access to the Western Cape’s famous wine farms.

The project’s leaders recently appointed the firm Boogertman + Partners Architects to design the new airport, including the main terminal, supporting facilities, and a runway large enough to accommodate international aircraft.

Boogertman + Partners, which is one of the largest architectural practices on the African continent, will collaborate with AMD.Sigma, a strategic airport development company based in Berlin.

“Together, they combine international expertise with deep local knowledge, insight, and proven capability,” said the Cape Winelands Airport’s management.

The project will establish a new airport city precinct 13km northeast of Durbanville. The airport itself is being built on the existing Fisantekraal Airfield.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2026, and the project will require an initial investment of between R8 billion and R10 billion.

Once complete, the Cape Winelands Airport will support an estimated 35,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs over the first 20 years of operations.

Upgrades for Cape Town International

The Cape Winelands site isn’t the only major airport project taking place in the Western Cape, as Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) is currently undergoing a massive R10-billion overhaul.

The improvements are part of a broader R21.7-billion national infrastructure investment program led by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).

It includes a R6.4-billion project to realign the airport’s main runway to improve operational resilience by optimizing aircraft movement patterns.

The revamped runway, which will be 3,500 metres long and 60 metres wide, is be shifted by 11.5 degrees eastward to improve air traffic efficiency and open up critical passenger terminal capacity.

Additionally, new rapid taxiways and a partial parallel taxiway are being added to improve scheduling flexibility.

These upgrades will ensure CTIA is Code F compliant, meaning it can accommodate newer aircraft and remain internationally competitive.

The domestic and international terminals are also set to be redeveloped, pending regulatory approval.

The plan is to include additional apron stands, expand the commercial and lounge areas, and streamline the immigration processing zone and bus transit gates.

The building itself will also be revamped to include more natural light and to make it easier for passengers to navigate.

CTIA Acting Regional General Manager, Thabo Phateng, explained that the developments represent a significant step in strengthening the airport’s role as a critical local economic gateway.

“By expanding capacity and enhancing operational resilience, we are positioning the airport to support sustained passenger growth, tourism expansion, trade facilitation and long-term regional economic development,” he said.