Reclaiming the streets of Langa

by | Dec 19, 2025 | News & Activities

“Government has been building streets from the car perspective for so long things need to change, communities need to connect. Cape Town is so segregated things are far by driving but once you navigate streets, they are so close. What I love a lot about cycling is that you get to see the streets with different views, even communities, Pinelands is here when you walk but when you drive it’s so far, because our communities have been built to isolate.” said Mzikhona Mgedle, Founder and Managing Director of the Langa Bicycle Hub.
René Sparks

“Today we are saying no to that isolation, whereby communities can come. There are people from Pinelands, there are people from Durbanville, there are people from Khayelitsha, there are people from everywhere coming to enjoy the movement of Langa Bicycle Hub and Open Langa and opening streets to the people and we hope that this programme can happen more,” adds Mzi. These words set the tone for the return of Open Langa on 26 October 2025, an event designed to confront the city’s persistent spatial divides and reimagine public streets as shared, people-centred places. Cape Town’s neighbourhoods have long been shaped by planning decisions that separate communities and make short distances feel far, limiting everyday connection. Open Langa offered a vivid demonstration of what becomes possible when these streets are reclaimed by the people who live in and move through them.

Led by the Langa Bicycle Hub in partnership with Local South and supported by a network of community organisations, the event revived the spirit of open streets first introduced in Langa several years ago. On the day, King Langalibalele Drive and Lerotholi Avenue were closed to cars and opened to residents and visitors who walked, cycled, played and performed freely in the space. The transformation showed how quickly a road can shift from a traffic corridor to a vibrant social space once motor vehicles give way. Mgedle emphasised that travelling by bicycle reveals a more connected city than the one experienced from behind the wheel. This became clear as people from Pinelands, Durbanville, Khayelitsha and many other communities arrived to take part in the celebration. Families gathered, children played, food stalls and music filled the streets and strangers interacted as neighbours in an atmosphere shaped by ease rather than urgency.

Support from Tekano, the City of Cape Town, Bridges for Music, SA Urban Food and Farming Trust, Young Urbanists, 16 on Lerotholi and Langa Community Advice Services helped make the event possible, reinforcing the idea that meaningful urban change relies on collaboration and shared purpose. Open Langa was more than a celebration. It was a vision for a more connected Cape Town where streets no longer divide but bring people together and where public space invites participation, community and belonging. Organisers hope the momentum will continue, inspiring more opportunities to open the city’s streets to the people they are meant to serve.