The City of Cape Town is bringing back its popular Identikidz programme this festive season, helping parents keep their children safe at some of the city’s busiest beaches.

The programme, coordinated by the Community Services and Health Directorate, allows parents and caregivers to register their children on arrival. Each child is given a wristband with a unique number linked to the caregiver’s details, making it easy to reunite families if a child gets lost.

Councillor Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, encouraged parents to take advantage of the service.

“We all share a responsibility to create safer spaces for our children, and our beaches are no exception – especially considering how busy they get during the festive season. Identikidz adds a lot of value, but caregivers still need to ensure their children are supervised at all times.”

Last year, the programme tagged more than 133 000 children, successfully reuniting 302 who had wandered away from their families.

This year, Identikidz will run from 15 December to 18 January, operating from 9am to 6:30pm on selected days. The programme will be available at major beaches including Muizenberg, Strandfontein, Camps Bay, Big Bay, Fish Hoek, Gordon’s Bay, Melkbosstrand, Harmony Park, Mnandi, Monwabisi, Sea Point, Silwerstroom, Strand and Milnerton.

With beaches expected to be busier than ever, the City urges parents to register their children and make safety a priority while enjoying the festive season by the sea.