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The paper examines the challenges of cataloguing library resources, in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Public Libraries (CCTML), South Africa. The paper was necessitated by the postulation that, the extent of access and the use of library resources depends greatly upon the quality of the library catalogue. The following research questions were formulated: what cataloguing knowledge do cataloguers of CCTML have? How is cataloguing carried out in CCTML? What challenges do cataloguers of CCTML experience in cataloguing library resources? Qualitative approach and case study design were employed. The population of the study was made of 6 cataloguers. Data was collected through the focus group interview. Findings indicated that cataloguers experienced challenges of assigning subject headings for languages other than English, allocation of the correct classification notation and the advanced use of the cataloguing standards. Cataloguers obtained knowledge of descriptive cataloguing, subject analysis and classification. The study recommends the exchange programmes in cataloguing, use of technological tools and decolonization of subject and name authority standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]