With the Cape Town CBD in better in better shape than ever before, the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID ) has recorded a successful year providing a stable and business friendly inner-city environment.
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At the organisation’s recent AGM, CCID Board Chairperson Rob Kane said while the organisation faced unique challenges in 2023/24, it once again ensured the CBD remained a world-class destination where people wanted to live, work, invest, do business and have fun.
“This is evident in the huge number of property investments that came on stream in the year under review. In 2023, the CBD saw an injection of investments worth more than R7.2 bn, which is extraordinary for an area of 1.6 km²,” Kane said. “These included five-star hotels, residential and mixed-use complexes and commercial buildings, and more have come on stream in 2024.”
Presenting the CCID’s results for the 2023/2024 financial year, Kane, announced that the organisation had achieved its 24th consecutive clean audit. “Apart from good governance, the secret of the CCID’s success is a commitment to “get the basics right” in the areas of public safety, urban management and social development,” he said.
The CCID provides enhancing and supplementary services in the Cape Town CBD to those provided by its partners, the City of Cape Town and SAPS.
Property values soars
Over the past 24 years, the organisation – which is funded by commercial and residential property owners – has worked hard to stabilise and transform the Central City, with the value of all property soaring from R6 billion in 2006 to R42.8 billion at the end of 2023, according to the City of Cape Town’s property valuation. Kane expects this trajectory to persist given the influx of new property developments.
“Once again the CCID has delivered a stellar set of results, with the organisation strategically pivoting to meet conditions on the ground and to create an environment that promotes economic growth.”
Operational successes
CCID CEO Tasso Evangelinos
Tasso Evangelinos, CCID CEO said while the organisation’s focus was holistic, maintaining public safety was a priority in the bustling global downtown.
“The bulk of the CCID’s budget, therefore, is spent on maintaining a visible and effective security presence in town,” he said.
Coping with ever-increasing visitor numbers, the CCID once again continually analysed crime trends and rolled out an effective safety plan for the CBD to circumvent criminal activity.
“This also involved harnessing technology to improve the response rate of the CCID’s 323 Public Safety Officers, who work in shifts 24/7, to ensure they are the first responders to a crime incident in our footprint,” Evangelinos said.
In the past financial year, CCID Safety & Security conducted over 37 927 safety interactions, including collaborating with its crime partners to conduct over 3 000 join crime-prevention operations in town.
Says Evangelinos: “The teams helped to secure 720 arrests, assisted by CCID-funded Law Enforcement Officers and City of Cape Town Law Enforcements and SAPS.”
Maintaining the fabric of the CBD
The CCID’s second biggest operational expenditure was on cleaning and maintaining the urban environment, with teams working diligently to keep the CBD in tip-top shape, beautify its public spaces, create a greener urban environment and ensure effective waste management.
Littering remained a major challenge in the CBD, with Urban Management department teams collecting 1 210 tonnes of litter and illegally dumped litter from the CBD for removal by the City to landfill. “We also removed 31 899 kg of debris from storm water drains and 3 586 km from channels.”
Evangelinos said: “Working with strategic partners, the CCID also successfully completed various projects, increasing the number of safe and accessible public toilets, enhancing lighting in key areas, expanding its waste management capabilities and adding to its team of cleaners.
“We created permanent and ad hoc work opportunities for both skilled and unskilled staff, including homeless individuals.”
With beautification of the CBD a priority, the department added vibrancy to town with bollard art, festive and floral hanging baskets, fabric-draping of trees and enhancing tree wells.
Support for the homeless
The CCID’s Social Development department, which provides compassionate support to the homeless population living in the CBD, worked closely with NGOs and other community partners, recording a notable increase in proactive engagements with the CBD’s growing homeless population.
Evangelinos said: “We are particularly proud of our ground-breaking “peer-to-peer” field worker project which we expanded to include a night shift. Through this innovative initiative, former homeless individuals mentor and support those currently living on the streets, linking them to critical services and support.”
One of the department’s successes in the year under review was increasing the number of shelter beds available through its Winter Readiness Programme, and a feeding scheme in collaboration with partner NGO TB HIV Care which incentivized the safe disposal of discarded needles in return for a meal. “A total of 858 people benefitted from this project, with 250 748 needles returned to TB HIV Care on feeding scheme days,” he adds.
Exceptional year of service
Kane said: “The CCID provided another exceptional year of service to the CBD thanks to its proficient management team, committed staff, experienced service providers and successful collaborations with strategic partners.
“While the bustling inner centre will always present challenges, together with our partners we will ensure that the CBD remains a place where people come to have fun, live, work, do business and invest. We expect another bumper year ahead”, concluded Kane.
CCID departments: Statistical highlights
Some of the statistics achieved during the 2023-2024 financial year, per department:
Safety & Security
| 720 | Arrests made together with the CCID’s Law Enforcement agencies |
| 37 825 | Total number of safety interactions conducted |
| 2 827 | Number of times public assistance provided |
| R 1 607 245 | Total value of fines issued by CCID-funded Law Enforcement Officers |
| 31 031 | Fines issued by City of Cape Town Traffic Wardens (funded by the CCID) totalling R19 700 600 |
Urban Management
| 1 210 | Tonnes of litter and illegally dumped waste removed to landfill |
| 2 106 | Graffiti tags removed |
| 31 899 kg | Debris removed from cleaning storm water drains |
| 5 219 kg | Debris removed from municipal drains |
| 2 515 kg | Kilograms of cigarette-butt litter removed from 307 CCID-branded cigarette bins |
| 291 | Number of potholes repaired by the Road Maintenance team |
Social Development
| 111 | Shelter placements |
| 51 | National family reunifications by field workers |
| 18 | Number of homeless assisted with skills training and jobs referrals |
| 250 748 | Needles collected through an incentivised feeding scheme with TB HIV Care |
| 4 879 | Number of meals served and engagements by the feeding scheme |
| 195 | Number of times homeless clients referred for assistance by peers on the department’s Peer Field Worker Project |
Communications
| 339 | Media clips generated across broadcast, print and online channels |
| R12 400 943 | Value of total media exposure obtained during the year |
| 4 | Awards clinched at SA Publication Forum Awards |
| 283 000 | CCID publications distributed and printed |
| 146 548 | Subscribers reached across the CCID’s various online platforms (three Facebook pages, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, the CCID website and via the monthly e-Newsletter) |
For more insight into the CCID’s achievements and plans, read the Annual Report here.
Cape Town CCID Chairperson Rob Kane
