Name of the Project
Cape Winelands Airport.

Location
The project is a privately led development located 13 km north-east of Durbanville, on the outskirts of Cape Town, in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
RSA Aero is the owner and operator of Cape Winelands Airport.

Growthpoint Properties is a development partner for the airport project.

Project Description
The project entails the construction of Cape Town’s second big commercial airport. The aviation hub will be built on the site of the Fisantekraal Airfield, which was established in 1943 as a Lockheed Ventura bomber base for the South African Air Force.

The airfield currently serves as a general aviation facility and flight training base.

The airport will serve as a crucial gateway to the Cape Winelands region, offering a range of domestic and international flight options and opening up new routes. It will accommodate two-million international tourists and three-million domestic travellers a year by 2050, taking overall passenger traffic to the region from 10-million to 20-million passengers a year.

Construction work will include the construction of a large-scale terminal, extended and realigned runway infrastructure, upgraded airside systems, enhanced cargo and logistics operations, as well as a modernised general aviation precinct.

The airport has four runways, one of which will be realigned and extended to a Code 4F (1 800-m-long or more) runway built to a new orientation capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft.  A secondary runway, 700 m long, will primarily focus on small planes in crosswind conditions.

The airport will include the construction of a boutique terminal building, including state-of-the-art processing facilities; a cargo processing facility; additional hangars; and fuelling facilities.

Other planned infrastructure comprises hotel accommodation, a 450 ha estate around the airport and a heliport, as well as warehousing and logistics facilities. 

Potential Job Creation
The development is expected to create thousands of jobs during and after construction.

Capital Expenditure
Between R8-billion and R10-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Current planning projects the airport to be operational in 2028.

Latest Developments
Boogertman + Partners has been appointed the lead architect.

The company will collaborate with amd.sigma, an airport development company based in Berlin, Germany, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Munich Airport International.

According to Boogertman + Partners and amd.sigma, the architectural vision for the airport complex is that the development should blend harmoniously with the natural topography and agricultural tapestry of the winelands and Swartland region.

The airport terminal is envisioned as a “striking, undulating, sculptural glass and steel form that appears to rise organically from the ground” – an abstracted interpretation of the terrain that blurs the boundary between landscape and built structure.

The design of the airport will also target several environmental ratings and certifications.

The layout of the development is designed to support phased expansion, as the urban design constitutes a flexible framework that can evolve with local conditions, stakeholder input and future mobility trends.

The appointment of Boogertman + Partners marks the next milestone for the airport project following the announcement of partnerships with developer Growthpoint Properties and WBHO Construction at the end of 2025.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
WBHO (technical development and construction) and Growthpoint Properties (development partner for the airport project and long-term property and asset management responsibilities for the aviation precinct’s logistics, commercial and hospitality components); Boogertman + Partners (lead architect); and amd.sigma (airport development company).

Contact Details for Project Information
Cape Winelands Airport, tel +27 21 271 0501 or email info@capewinelands.aero.