Making a Change Rallies Community to Breathe New Life into the Soet River

Photo Credit: City of Cape Town

Living up to their name, the Making a Change team rolled up their sleeves to breathe fresh life into their hometown river, even rallying the Helderberg community to help remove over 14 tonnes of waste and restore the Soet River to a cleaner future.

Helderberg, South Africa (27 September 2026) – While some might have grown desensitised to the heavily polluted Soet River, one group refused to stand by and watch it fall into ruin.

Driven to make a difference, the team at Making a Change NGO stepped up to restore the river through a combination of manual and mechanical clean-ups, systematic litter sorting, and unblocking a critical culvert to get the water flowing freely again.

Initiated on 1 April 2025, this massive campaign blended hands-on restoration with environmental education and community outreach. The team even produced documentary-style videos to spread the word about river pollution and responsible waste disposal.

Roughly 80 volunteers rolled up their sleeves across three major clean-up drives, helping with litter collection, sorting, site logistics, and specialised culvert rehabilitation. Local residents along the river and from neighbouring areas also joined in, participating in lively environmental discussions and awareness activities.

Community volunteers and Making a Change team members work together during a Soet River clean-up to remove litter and improve the river environment.

The outcome? Over 14 tonnes of litter have been successfully removed from the Soet River!

For the Making a Change team, this 15-month effort was far more than just another environmental campaign; it was deeply personal.

“The Making a Change team is from the Helderberg, and this river runs right through the community we call home,” explained Dean van Schalkwyk.

“Many of us have driven past it for years, watching the pollution build up. Being able to take part in restoring it meant much more than simply completing a project.”

The community-driven environmental restoration project was supported by grant funding from the City of Cape Town. The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Alderman Zahid Badroodien, said he valued the contribution of organisations and residents who are willing to get involved and make a difference in their communities.

“These partnerships complement the City’s work and help build greater awareness of the importance of keeping our waterways clean and protecting them for future generations,” said Badroodien.