Dam levels in the drought-stricken Western Cape are up to 53.05 percent this week, the national department of water and sanitation said on Monday.

In a statement, the department said the level for the Theewaterskloof dam, the largest dam supplying water to Cape Town, stood at 38.55, almost double the 19.61 percent it stood at exactly a year ago.

The department's regional head in the province, Rashid Khan, said with more rainfall expected in the coming winter months, the increased dam levels was "a significant step up" for water security in the Western Cape.