Dam · Western Cape · South Africa · DWS
Voelvlei Dam
56.1% full
Total capacity
158.6 hm³
River
Kompanjiesdrif
Basin
Breede-Olifants
Primary use
water supply
Operator
City of Cape Town
Coordinates
33.617°S, 19.200°E
Last updated
2026-10-19
Current fill
56.1%vs 7 days ago
-1.5 pplosing
vs 1 year ago
-43.2 ppyear-over-year
7-day trend
↓falling
Drought context
Rain over the last three months · 11 October 2026
Extremely dry
In the three months to 11 October 2026 the area around Voelvlei Dam had extremely little rain for the season, a shortfall seen about one year in forty. Rainfall compared with the long-run record for the same season at this point (Copernicus Global Drought Observatory, SPI-3 index −2.41). Rain, not storage. South Africa drought figures →
Weekly storage
Fill history — multi-year
About this dam
Dam height
37 m
Year built
1952
Dam type
Earthfill
Data source
official
Storage data: Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Weekly State of Dams report, South Africa.
Catchment Weather
Past 30 days + 14-day forecast · Open-Meteo
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics. Map: Esri, HERE, Garmin, © OpenStreetMap contributors. 33.617°S, 19.200°E · Open in Google Maps
About Voelvlei Dam
As of October 19, 2026, Voelvlei Dam is filled to 56.1% of its total capacity, holding 89 hm³ of water out of a maximum 158.6 hm³. At this level the reservoir is within its normal operating range.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has fallen by 1.5 percentage points, and it is 43.2 points below its level on the same date a year earlier.
Across the readings we hold for Voelvlei Dam — 21 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 56.1% (October 19, 2026) to a high of 99.3% (October 19, 2025). On average the reservoir is fullest around October and at its lowest around May.
The dam at Voelvlei Dam stands 37 m tall and is a earthfill dam and was completed in 1952. It is operated by City of Cape Town primarily for water supply. It lies within the Breede-Olifants basin at 33.617°S, 19.200°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 56.1% of total capacity
- Water stored
- 89 hm³
- Total capacity
- 158.6 hm³
- 7-day change
- ▼ 1.5 pp
- Year-on-year
- ▼ 43.2 pp
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Kompanjiesdrif
- River basin
- Breede-Olifants
- Dam height
- 37 m
- Year completed
- 1952
- Operator
- City of Cape Town
- Coordinates
- 33.617°S, 19.200°E
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (hm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | 56.1% | 89 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 57.6% | 91.4 |
| 5 Oct 2026 | 58.0% | 92 |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 59.4% | 94.2 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 59.3% | 94 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 60.0% | 95.2 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 60.6% | 96.1 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 61.1% | 96.9 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 61.6% | 97.7 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 61.8% | 98 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 62.1% | 98.5 |
| 6 Jul 2026 | 60.8% | 96.4 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.