Cape Town is one of the better places in South Africa to make drinking water from the air, and it works the opposite way round to the Highveld. Its best months are in winter.

How well it works in Cape Town

Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate: wet, humid winters and dry, windy summers. Because winter is the wet season, humidity is highest in the cooler months, so output holds up well when Highveld units are at their weakest.

Summer is drier and the south-easter pulls humidity down on the hottest days, but proximity to the ocean keeps the air moister than inland. Sites close to the coast (Sea Point, Milnerton, Muizenberg, the Atlantic seaboard, the West Coast) do better than the Northern Suburbs and Winelands, which run warmer and drier in summer.

Planning estimates for Cape Town

A household of two to four people drinking and cooking with it will usually be covered by the 20L. Guest houses, offices, farms in the Boland and anyone also filling a storage tank should look at the 80L. Our 20L vs 80L guide walks through the sums.

Why Capetonians look at water from air

Cape Town came closer than any major city in the world to running out of municipal water during the 2017–2018 drought. Many households have since added rainwater tanks or a borehole. A water generator is a third option: it needs no rain, no drilling and no municipal supply, only a plug point. It can also purify your existing tap or tank water when you prefer that.

For renters and sectional-title owners, where boreholes and big tanks are often not allowed, it is usually the only practical independent drinking-water source.

Price and delivery

• SkyTap 20L (hot & cold home and small-office unit): R15,999 for the unit.
• SkyTap 80L (business, estates, lodges, high-volume homes): from R24,950 for the unit.
• Import (DDP) and door-to-door delivery to your address are quoted separately and itemised before you commit. Freight, duties and customs clearance are handled by SkyTap.
• SkyTap is not a VAT vendor, so no VAT is added.
• Larger systems (250 to 5,000 litres a day) are quoted per project. See the full range.

Questions

Does a water generator work in Cape Town's dry summer?

Yes. Output dips somewhat in the dry, windy summer months, but coastal humidity keeps it producing. Expect roughly 10–14 litres a day from the 20L and 40–55 litres from the 80L.

How much is a water generator in Cape Town?

The SkyTap 20L is R15,999 and the 80L starts from R24,950 for the unit. Import and delivery to your Cape Town address are quoted separately and itemised. No VAT is added.

Do you deliver across the Western Cape?

Yes: the City of Cape Town, the Winelands, the West Coast and further afield. Delivery is door to door, and the cost is confirmed in your quote.

Sources. Output figures at each condition are the manufacturer's tested values for the units SkyTap supplies. Local estimates are modelled from that curve against typical regional humidity (see our regional humidity guide). They are planning estimates, not measured field results.

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