List of tallest buildings in Cape Town

Portside Tower, on the corner of Buitengracht and Hans Strijdom Avenue, is the tallest building in Cape Town.

Cape Town CBD (center), and the Port of Cape Town (left), as seen from the summit of Signal Hill

This list of tallest buildings in Cape Town ranks completed buildings by height in the South African city of Cape Town, Western Cape, the second-largest city in South Africa by population. ^[1]

The tallest buildings in Cape Town tend to be situated in Cape Town CBD, which is the economic center of the city, as well as one of its most densely populated suburbs.

The city features 10 buildings at a height of 100 meters or more.

Cape Town's tallest building is the Portside Tower, which stands at 139 m (456 ft); the tower was built in 2014 and was the first significant tall building erected in the central business district in 21 years.

Adjacent to Portside, the 16 on Bree building, standing at 118 m (387 ft) tall, is the city's second notable tall building in the financial district having been completed in March 2021. Other tall buildings recently completed include the 35 Lower Long tower (2020), The Halyard (2019), and #1 Harbour Arch (2023) with a further new tower, The Rubik, which was completed in May 2024.

Site works have begun on The Fynbos which is due to be completed in late 2026. Two hotel towers are in the planning stage, the One on Bree (set to be Cape Town's second-tallest building), and the W Hotel & Residences.

Tallest buildings

This list ranks Cape Town's skyscrapers that stand at least 90 m (295 ft) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details, but does not include antenna masts.

  Was the tallest building in Cape Town upon completion

Rank	Building	Image	Height metres / ft	Floors	Completed
1	Portside Tower (Mixed Use)		139 m (456 ft)	32	2014
2	1 Thibault Square (Office)		126 m (413 ft)	32	1972
3	16 on Bree (Residential)		120 m (393 ft)	36	2021
4	Metlife Centre (Hotel Sky) (Hotel)		119 m (390 ft)	28	1993
5	Atterbury House (Office)		119 m (390 ft)	29	1976
6	ABSA Centre (Office)		117 m (384 ft)	34	1970
7	Golden Acre (Office)		108 m (354 ft)	28	1979
8	Cape Sun Southern Sun (Office)		105 m (344 ft)	33	1982
9	Triangle House (Residential)		104 m (341 ft)	26	1993
10	Western Cape Provincial Administration Building (Office)		101 m (331 ft)	26	1976
11	Civic Centre (Local Government Office)		98 m (322 ft)	26	1978
12	#1 Harbour Arch (Residential)		95 m (312 ft)	23	2023
13	2 Long Street (Hotel)		93 m (305 ft)	24	1970
14	Naspers Centre (Office)		93 m (305 ft)	22	1962
15	The Halyard (Office)		92 m (302 ft)	24	2019
16	Cartwright's Corner (Mixed Use)		92 m (302 ft)	24	1969
17	Mutual Building (Residential)		91 m (299 ft)	18	1939
18	The Rubik (Office & Residential)		89 m (292 ft)	27	2024
19	35 Lower Long (Office)		86 m (282 ft) [ citation needed ]	24	2020

Diagram of the tallest buildings

Timeline of tallest buildings

The Mutual Building was the tallest building in Cape Town for 23 years, before it was overtaken by the Sanlam Centre (Naspers Centre) in 1962. ^[2] After it was completed in 1972 and overtook the Trust Bank Centre (ABSA Centre) which is now called (The Foreshore Place) after being turned into a residential building, 1 Thibault Square (BP Centre) was the tallest building in the city for the next 42 years before Portside Tower was opened. ^[3]

Before the completion of the Portside Tower, the 26-floor Safmarine Tower (Triangle House) was the last skyscraper to open its doors in the Mother City on completion in 1993. ^[4] After the construction of the Portside Tower confidence in the construction of skyscrapers in Cape Town grew stronger and this saw the construction of a 118m (387ft) skyscraper called the 16 on Bree. It is the tallest residential building in Cape Town.

  Was Africa's tallest building upon completion – excluding Egyptian pyramids.

  Completion expected in 2026.

Building	Height	Floors	Years as tallest
Mutual Building	91 m (299 ft)	18	1939–1962
Naspers Centre	93 m (305 ft)	22	1962–1969
Cartwright's Corner	92 m (302 ft)	24	1969–1970
The Foreshore Place	117 m (384 ft)	34	1970–1972
1 Thibault Square	126 m (413 ft)	32	1972–2014
Portside Tower	142 m (466 ft)	32	2014–
Zero-2-One	142.2 m (467 ft)	44	2026

Under Construction, Proposed, and Never Built

Building	Height	Floors	Completion	Image	Status	References
W Hotel & Residences	145 m (476 ft)	36	TBC		Proposed
Zero-2-One	142 m (466 ft)	44	-		Never Built
The Vogue	128 m (420 ft)	37	-		Never Built
One on Bree	131 m (430 ft)	41	2028		Under Construction	[5]
#1 Harbour Arch	95 m (312 ft)	23	2023		Completed
The Fynbos		25	2026		Never Built
CityPark	83.9 m (275 ft)	17	Q4 2025		Under Construction	[6] [7]

References

1. "Biggest Cities In South Africa". worldatlas.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
2. "Naspers Centre". Emporis. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
3. "1 Thibault Square". skyscraperpage.com. 8 October 2018.
4. "Cape skyscraper is city's first in 21 years". bizcommunity.com. 30 May 2014.
5. Ash Müller (8 August 2025). "Cape Town's 2nd tallest skyscraper under construction". Time Out. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
6. "CityPark - The Building". CityPark. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
7. PropertyWheel_G (18 December 2023). "Ingenuity And Kasada Partner To Redevelop Iconic City Park Building In Cape Town". Property Wheel. Retrieved 25 July 2025.