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A Special Rating Area (SRA), also known as a City Improvement District (CID), refers to a clearly defined geographical area, in which property owners contribute additional rates to fund & top up services for that specific area as per the approved Business Plan.
According to the SA Constitution (Sections 152 & 153), the objective of a local authority is to provide all its residents with certain basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation and refuse removal, etc., up to an equitable standard. For communities who wish to enjoy municipal services of a higher level, a CID provides them with the option of paying for these additional services in an affordable and sustainable manner.
Following the precedent of both Park Island and Eastlake Island CIDs, the simplest route to establishing a CID is to convert existing voluntary security groups, such as informally existed in Battleridge, Cannon Island and Fisherman’s Quay. The eastern side of Eastlake Drive has never been part of these security groups. It is a mix of commercial, sectional title and residential properties, some in gated communities, with specific security issues. Incorporating this mix of properties would complicate the establishment of the CID and could make it unviable because of additional security requirements and associated costs. The map on the home page shows the boundary crossing the water. This was for convenience of drawing the map but the watercourse is not part of the CID in any way. The CID is purely terrestrial residences within the boundary shown on the map.
Currently, a small group of volunteers knock on doors trying to get people to voluntarily contribute to the cost of the CCTV street cameras. At the end of 2025, only 43% (72 of 168) of property owners in the Marina South area contribute towards the cameras. The current security service provider, Deep Blue, has stated that the income is only 57% of a sustainable level and they will have to start removing cameras until they match the contributions.
The volunteers are fatigued by the apathy of residents and some have said they are unwilling to carry on. We estimate that within a year, without the formation of the MSCID, the inconstant funding for cameras will dry up. Crime will become rampant, as it was in the past, but worse! Safety and property values will drop alarmingly. If we would like to continue enjoying a quiet, safe and beautiful environment to live in, We Have No Choice but vote for a CID, otherwise we won’t be able to walk the streets in safety.
Park Island and Eastlake Island are now CIDs, enjoying the knowledge that payment for street security is guaranteed and not at the whim of people who may or may not contribute.
A CID is always initiated by a community, and not by the City. It usually starts with champions within a community who want to improve the environment within a defined area. They create a Steering Committee and compile a five-year business plan (including a motivation report, implementation plan and budget), indicating how the improvements are to be achieved. This business plan is then presented to the community at a public meeting. Thereafter, property owners are asked for their support. If the majority – 50% in an area classified as commercial and 60% for an area classified as residential – gives written consent to the formation of a CID, it can be created. The steering committee then submit an application to the City. The application is then advertised in the media. Property owners are also notified and given at least 60 days to render any comments or objections. The City then considers the application with the objections at a full sitting of Council. After the City has approved the application, an NPC (Non-Profit Company) is set up and a board is elected. The NPC has to register for VAT, open a bank account and be registered as a vendor with the City. This must all be in place before the City makes any payment to the CID.
By pooling their resources in a CID, individual property owners enjoy the collective benefits of a well-managed area, a shared sense of communal pride,
increased safety and social responsibility, maintenance of public open spaces and precinct entrances and access to joint initiatives e.g. energy-efficiency programs, and a close working relationship with City of Cape Town departments.
Yes. Once the City has approved a CID, the participation of all property owners within the CID area who are liable to pay the additional rates is mandatory. It should be noted that the CID rate which shows on your municipal bill, replaces any voluntary payments you make towards street CCTV. You are however, still responsible for security within your own home, such as armed response or alarms. You may be eligible for rates relief – see next answer.
For those who meet the criteria set by CCT, rates relief is available. If you already qualify for rates relief, you will automatically be exempt for the additional rates. The following categories of owners / properties will be 100% exempted as per the CID
(SRA) Policy:
The City of Cape Town website explains who is eligible.
The City collects the additional rates on behalf of the CID, apportioned according to the municipal valuation of the property. The additional rate appears as a separate item (improvement district) on the monthly municipal account of each property owner in the CID area.
Should the CID be established, the additional rates – marked as ‘improvement district’ on your bill – will be dependent on the financial model and business plan presented by the CID, and approved by the City. Every homeowner will be contributing (not just some), therefore by our calculation, the amount added to rates bill is likely to be similar, or in many cases less than currently being paid by individuals towards CCTV security cameras. This amount will be recalculated based on the projected increase in CID budget (7.5% per annum) and possible changes in the City’s valuation of individual
properties.
The valuation base is a snapshot at a point in time (end February) and is used to calculate the additional rate (Rand-in-the-rand) for the following financial year. However, municipal valuations can change within a financial year due to interim valuations, Valuation Court rulings, sub-divisions, rezoning or other technical adjustments. Should the valuation base decrease or increase substantially, the City must inform the CID in order to recalculate the CID additional rate.
The amount the city collects in rates is not sufficient to deliver the level of service we all want and need today. That’s why so many residential areas, like Marina South, are coming together as a community to raise the standards via a CID.
The CID budget does not cover your personal home security, such as house alarms and armed response. These will remain your own choice and responsibility, whether a CID is established or not. However, better street security will inevitably help protect your home against crime.
The entire living environment of an area contributes to the wellbeing of its residents, so tidy verges and communal gardens add to the community spirit. In addition, we have an element of social responsibility and can allocate budget to specific upliftment projects.
The Marina South CID will deliver an area-wide coordinated security programme, which will be contracted to a professional security firm. Most of the streets within Marina South CID area are already monitored by cameras and an analysis of these will make them even more effective. Streets not yet covered with cameras will have them installed if the CID is created. We also expect to have a dedicated 24/7 armed response car patrolling our CID and all cameras will be replaced and/or upgraded every three years.
The amount added to your rates bill for the CID becomes part of your entire rates account. Not paying your municipal account in full is deemed as being in default by the City. There is currently an exceptionally high level of rates adherence within the Marina South community, but if you should default on any part of your rates bill, the City will be in touch. The nearest office for disputing any part of your rates bills is in the old Standard Bank building in Main Road, Fish Hoek. See the question on this page about who can be exempt from paying.
The elected board of the Marina South CID NPC will be responsible for delivering the service in accordance with the business plan and budget. Service providers will be appointed after a competitive tender process. The City of Cape Town does not appoint any service providers or allocate any expenditure of CID funds. Marina South CID budget is ring-fenced to be spent only in the specified area and managed by the board of the NPC. Any eligible member of the community can apply to become a member of the board.
The Steering Committee will take the feedback the community via the survey and a public meeting, to draw up a list of needs and wants. A business plan to achieve those aims will be constructed and costed. The budget approved by the City will be on this website under Documents
A CID is governed by the Companies Act (71 of 2008) and manages its own finances and appoints its own auditors. The audited financial statements form part of the City's consolidated accounts, which are reviewed by the Auditor-General. In addition, monthly financial reports are submitted to the City to monitor and to ensure that expenditure is incurred according to the budget. All CIDs have to submit the Chairman`s report and AFS (Audited Financial Statements) to the relevant Sub council, within two months of their AGM.
Every property owner within the CID should apply in writing to the CID Board for membership of the NPC. Only then are they able to participate in CID affairs.
3% of the additional rates collected is withheld by CCT for bad debts. It is ring-fenced and is typically returned at the end of the fiscal year, although the city reserves the right not to do so based on the CID’s homeowners arrears profile.
In the last few years over 50 new CIDs have been formed all over Greater Cape Town. The City of Cape Town are very involved in supporting CID applications and in making the process consistent and efficient. Two neighbouring areas within Marina da Gama – Park Island and Eastlake Island – have become CIDs in the last couple of years (you can already see marked upgrades of public spaces in these areas). The Marina South precinct adjoins these islands, and should Marina South succeed in becoming a CID, a very large portion of the whole neighbourhood will be cared for under the concerned local management of CIDs. This makes Marina da Gama a beautiful safe haven and desirable area in which to live. You can read more on the City of Cape Town website https://www.capetown.gov.za/
The committee members are all concerned residents who volunteered their services and are not being remunerated. Should a CID be formalized, an NPC will be established to implement the business plan and the board of this NPC will be elected by property owners. Any eligible home owner in the CID area can apply to be a Director. If you want to be more involved, please contact us.
Absolutely zero. The Steering Committee are all volunteers, so are the Board of Directors of the Non-Profit Company that is created to manage the CID.
No. The future directors of the NPC will be voted in by all the home owners in the CID area and anyone eligible can stand for election. Members of the Steering Committee, who created the impetus for the CID and have already demonstrated their commitment, may be willing to stand and that would be a bonus. However, we encourage anyone interested in being elected to please throw their hats in the ring when the time comes. The CID regulations require that during the first six months following the establishment of the NPC an initial members’ meeting and the first AGM be held, with the objective of appointing the directors and approving the budget.
The NPCs business plan will cover the full 5-year term. However, it must be reviewed each year in discussion with City and may need to be revised to take into account changing needs of the community. Where changes are necessary, these will be voted on by the members of the NPC who have 1 vote per R5m or part thereof, of rateable value in their property, up to a maximum of 10 votes.
The CID business plan will take into account the needs of specific streets or sections of the area and where necessary budget can be allocated accordingly, but only when approved as part of the overall business plan.
The committee is committed to moving forward without delay, but also achieving the most for the community without unnecessary additional expense. It is critical that the appropriate time is taken to devise a comprehensive, cost-effective business plan and budget. The Committee hope to have the Marina South CID in place in 2025.
The committee will be working on coordinating feedback from the community on its wants and needs, and devising the resulting business plan and budget. The formation of a CID is a step-by-step process controlled by the City and takes time. In the meantime, the status quo of residents contributing to street cameras will be maintained. Please do not stop contributing to the cameras until the CID is officially sanctioned. If the community feels certain aspects of the plan should be implemented sooner, e.g. enhanced security measures, this must still be funded by contributions from residents.
Ratepayers will vote once the business plan and budget have been approved by City of Cape Town and presented to the community. While the committee is keen to progress without delay, the process is governed by the City. We are committed to devising a business plan and budget that reflects the community survey results, and which is inclusive, effective and cost efficient. We will take whatever time is necessary to achieve
this.
You will be notified when the first CID rate supplement will appear on your bill. Until then, please continue to support the local street security initiatives.
The reason developers and estate agents are strong supporters of CIDs, is that buyers & tenants are wanting higher levels of security and a beautiful environment in which to live. The Marina South CID provides that. It’s a definite advantage when selling your house to be in a CID area, especially when neighbouring areas also have this in place, as in the Marina da Gama.
The key difference between a South African Ratepayers’ Association and a Cape Town City Improvement District (CID) lies in their structure, purpose, and legal standing. A Ratepayers’ Association is typically a voluntary, community-driven group formed by residents and property owners to advocate for better municipal governance and service delivery, often through activism or engagement with local government. In contrast, a Cape Town CID is a legally established, non-profit entity created under municipal by-laws, where property owners within a designated area agree to pay additional levies to fund enhanced services such as cleaning, security, and urban management. While Ratepayers’ Associations are more advocacy-focused and operate independently, CIDs function as formal public-private partnerships working alongside the City to improve and maintain specific urban areas beyond the basic municipal services.
No, it is ring-fenced to be ploughed back exclusively into the CID.
