South Africa’s first citizens’ assembly on transport and climate

Could You Be One of
Cape Town’s 100?

100 ordinary Capetonians, randomly selected from across the city, will come together to deliberate on transport and climate and make formal recommendations to the City of Cape Town. No expertise required. Just your experience of living here.

Register your interest Learn about citizens’ assemblies
100
Randomly selected
assembly members
6
Weekend deliberation
sessions
2026
Recommendations
to the City
Our assembly question
“How can Cape Town build a transport system that gives every resident an equitable, reliable, and affordable way to get around, while reducing the pollution and emissions that are harming our environment?”
What is This?

A New Kind of Democratic Process

A citizens’ assembly is a group of ordinary people, chosen at random to reflect the full diversity of a city, who come together to learn about, deliberate on, and make recommendations about a pressing issue.

Unlike surveys or public meetings, a citizens’ assembly gives participants real time to go deep. Participants hear from experts, ask questions, discuss with fellow residents from different backgrounds, and reach considered collective recommendations.

Citizens’ assemblies have shaped policy on climate, constitutional change, and social issues in Ireland, France, Scotland, and across the world. The Cape Town Assembly on Climate is the first of its kind in South Africa.

Three Founding Principles
Sortition
Members are selected at random, like jury duty, so that every Capetonian has an equal chance of participating regardless of background, education, or connections.
Deliberation
Assembly members hear evidence, ask questions of experts, share perspectives in small groups, and work through complex trade-offs together. Deliberation produces more considered recommendations than polling alone.
Mandate
The assembly’s recommendations go directly to the City of Cape Town. The process is designed to ensure that what the assembly decides has genuine weight with decision-makers.
About Our Assembly

Cape Town. Transport. Climate.

Cape Town’s transport system is one of the most unequal in the world. Millions of residents spend hours each day commuting at great cost, while emissions from road transport contribute significantly to the city’s carbon footprint. This assembly asks Cape Town’s residents what they want done about it.

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When Six Saturday sessions, August to October 2026
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Where UWC School of Public Health, Bellville, Cape Town
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Who 100 randomly selected Cape Town residents aged 16 and older
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Languages English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa
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Output Formal recommendations to the City of Cape Town and a published report
What to Expect Each Session
1
Welcome and orientation
Meet your fellow assembly members, understand the process, and begin exploring the question of transport in Cape Town.
2
Understanding the transport question
Expert presentations on Cape Town’s current transport infrastructure, costs, and inequality. Learning about the link between transport and climate change and what the science says about our current trajectory.
3
Lived experiences and deliberation foundations
Hearing from community members across the city about how transport shapes daily life in different neighbourhoods. Setting the tone for deliberation and harvesting from the collective intelligence of the group to get the dialogue going.
4
Deliberation I
Small group deliberation on possible recommendations, working through trade-offs and reaching consensus.
5
Deliberation II
Building recommendations in larger plenary sessions to identify and articulate the top recommendations that will be included in the final documents.
6
Finalising recommendations
Reaching final decisions on the assembly’s formal recommendations, voting on the final text, and formally presenting them to the City of Cape Town.
Who Can Join

Your Experience is Exactly What We Need

We are not looking for experts or activists. We are looking for Cape Town residents willing to commit to all six sessions, listen carefully, and share their perspective.

Any Cape Town resident aged 16 or older is eligible to register.
No prior knowledge required. You will learn everything you need during the sessions.
Travel costs are fully covered for every session.
A meal is provided at every session.
Childcare is available on request at no cost.
Sessions are multilingual in English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa.
Register your interest
“Democracy works best when it includes everyone. Not just the people who already have a seat at the table.”
Cape Town Assembly on Climate, 2026
Registration closes
30 July 2026
Members selected by sortition in August 2026
How Selection Works

From Sign-up to Assembly

Registering interest does not guarantee a place. Here is exactly what happens after you submit your details.

1
You enter the pool
Once you fill in your details and submit, your name is added to our registration pool. You will receive a confirmation email from us to let you know we have received your registration.
2
Random stratified selection
From everyone who has registered, we randomly select 100 participants using a process called stratified sortition. This means the selection is random, but weighted to match Cape Town’s demographic profile across age, gender, home language, and area, so the assembly is as representative of the city as possible.
3
Your confirmation invitation
In August 2026, if your name has been selected, you will receive a second invitation from us asking you to confirm your place in the assembly. Only then is your participation confirmed. You are under no obligation to accept.
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The more people who register, the better. A larger pool means the random selection can more accurately reflect the full diversity of Cape Town. Share this page with your family, friends, and neighbours, especially those who may not typically engage with formal democratic processes.
Register

Register Your Interest

Registration does not guarantee a place. Members are selected by random ballot. Registering puts your name in the pool.

✓You live in Cape Town
✓You are 16 years of age or older
✓You can attend Saturday sessions between August and October 2026
✓You are willing to listen, learn, and deliberate with fellow Capetonians
Register your interest
Takes about two minutes. We will contact you if you are selected.

Your information is held securely and used only for assembly recruitment.
Supported by
Partner logos
The Cape Town Assembly on Climate is an independent process. Partner organisations support its delivery but do not influence the assembly’s conclusions or recommendations.