meet the managers

AGM 2024 Save the Date

As the year progresses, we invite all stakeholders to join us for Epping City Improvement District’s Annual General Meeting (AGM 2024). This is a vital opportunity to reflect on our achievements over the past year and begin planning for 2025/26. Details below.

This year, we have worked on revising our Frequently Asked Questions with the City, revisiting the official definitions of a City Improvement District to create a better understanding of the CIDs and how we work.

Read on for more.

Save the Date!

We are excited to announce that AGM 2024 is just around the corner. All stakeholders are welcome to participate as we review our progress and set the direction for the year ahead.

Please note: Resolutions presented at the AGM can only be voted on by bonafide members. All non-members wishing to take part must be registered before Friday, 11 October 2024.

AGM Details

Date: Tuesday, 22 October 2024
Time: 10:00
Venue: 24 Gunners Circle, Epping 1, Cape Town, 7475

RSVP to ecid@ecid.org.za.

Update to Our CID FAQs

We’ve recently updated our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section, providing a detailed overview of City Improvement Districts (CIDs) in the City of Cape Town. This update covers how CIDs are formed, their regulatory framework, the benefits they offer property owners, and the types of services they provide. Additionally, it explains the different types of CIDs and the process for establishing one.

For a comprehensive look, visit our FAQ page.

Here are some key updates:

  • What is a CID? A defined area where property owners contribute additional rates for supplementary services.
  • Types of Services Provided: Public safety, cleansing, infrastructure maintenance, and environmental projects.
  • How CIDs are Formed: A community-driven process with input from property owners.
  • CID Benefits: Increased safety, improved urban management, and enhanced property values.
  • Do Property Owners Have a Say? Yes, all property owners can participate, but only registered members can vote at meetings like the AGM. Membership is required to have a vote.
  • Can my CID additional rates be spent anywhere in the City? No, it is ring-fenced to be ploughed back exclusively into the CID

For more information, visit our FAQ page.

Meet our Epping City Improvement District Managers!

We’re proud to introduce Allan Swartz, the newest member of the Epping CID management team. Allan is committed to building on the successes of the CID and driving further improvements in the area. Allan joins our experienced team, including Senior CID Manager Lehan Joubert and fellow CID Manager Renaldo Kleinsmith, ensuring that Epping continues to thrive.

  • Allan Swartz: 084 067 6019, ecid3@geocentric.co.za
  • Lehan Joubert (Senior CID Manager): 084 454 4857, ecid1@geocentric.co.za
  • Renaldo Kleinsmith: 084 367 2226, ecid2@geocentric.co.za

General CID enquiries can be directed to ecid@ecid.org.za.
For Public Safety Emergencies, contact our 24-hour control room on 021 565 0900.

For other important contact numbers, visit our contact page.

Mandela Day

Winter Hope & Giving Back Responsibly  –  help combat poverty & inequality

Winter in Cape Town is a time in which poverty and homelessness become heightened social issues, because of the extremely harsh weather conditions. At the same time, the annual Mandela Day initiative coincides, taking place this 18 July, helping to bring hope and support to vulnerable communities.

Indigent people in South Africa are an inherent part of the cityscape, with hundreds of thousands of people homeless and living on the streets.

It is well-known that cash handouts are not a good solution for supporting people living on the streets  –  as these often serve to fuel the problem by funding addiction and other negative or self-perpetuating behaviour.

However, most of us would like to help in some way to combat poverty and inequality. For this reason, it’s important to work with known NGOs, nonprofits or charities, who have built social infrastructures and relationships that have longevity.

MES Cape Town - Mould, Empower, Serve

Mould, Empower, Serve:  how City Improvement Districts are working with MES

MES Cape Town is a key partner in the mission to sustainably rehome the homeless across various City Improvement Districts. Their extensive network of outreach and social relief programs provides the vital reach and resources our CID needs. Additionally, their responsive help desk is always available to assist with the immediate and short-term needs of the homeless and unemployed community.

We work closely with MES to identify individuals for casual labour on specific projects. Their team actively scouts promising candidates, placing them with us each week on a probationary basis as one of our on-the-ground workers, fondly known as our “Green Ants”. For those who show dedication, we offer pathways for them to become supervisors and advance their training, making them valuable members of our workforce in a way that allows us to support their growth.

ECID

To ensure the funds generated through our partnership are used effectively, we pay stipends directly to MES, which helps cover their living expenses sustainably throughout their stay.

Winter Hope 2024

MES is running a WinterHope campaign until the end of July, in a mission to spread hope and warmth this winter, by gathering essential items such as warm clothing, blankets, and nourishing food supplies.

Visit MES @mouldempowerserve on Facebook, or @mesorgsa on Instagram, to see causes near you to support this winter.

Continue reading →

Call for Proposals

The Board of the Epping City Improvement District NPC (ECID) invites suitably qualified service provider companies with existing City Improvement District experience to submit a proposal for the rendering of the following service:

CCTV Network Maintenance Service

Once the Board has evaluated all the proposals, a decision will be made on the successful service provider. The lowest, or any, portion of any Proposal will not necessarily be accepted, and the Board does not bind itself to assign any reason for the rejection or acceptance of a proposal. The decision of the Board is final and no further correspondence regarding the proposal will be entered once the successful service provider has been appointed. The Board is under no obligation to qualify its decisions to any of the applicants.

All costs related to the submission of this proposal must be borne by the relevant applicants/companies/service providers and they shall have no claim for cost recovery to the Board or its representatives whatsoever.

All the relevant information and documents are available on the ECID website on the Proposals page.
All correspondence will be via email and can be directed to ecid@ecid.org.za

Q1 REVIEW, WINTER PREPARATION & WHEELIE BIN SAFETY

As we move into the cooler months, we’re looking back and highlighting the efforts made during Q1 to keep the Epping City Improvement District a safe and clean place to live, work and visit. At this time, we also start preparing for winter with all the necessary maintenance to public space, and we ask you to take care of your property and business by doing the same. Lastly, we offer our safety tips for your wheelie bin, which can become a security hazard, especially as our daylight hours decrease.

Looking back at Q1

For Quarter One 2024, we focused on maintaining a safe environment through our security initiatives, which include ensuring bin-pickers and loiterers are monitored and dealt with.  Additionally, the Epping City Improvement District’s cleanliness was a priority, with our cleaning services ensuring a well-maintained space through initiatives such as emptying public bins on time and cleaning public gutters when needed. You can learn more about what we accomplished this quarter below.

On the ground report from our CID managers

meet the Epping CID managers

Our managers share a host of highlights from Quarter One:

  1. Mentally Disturbed Person Sleeping in Public Space
  • ECID Management noticed a homeless person sleeping under a tree in Gunners Circle, opposite the Shell Garage.
  • Upon engagement, we discovered that the homeless person is mentally disturbed and that is when we contacted the relevant role players such as SAPS Pinelands, Social Services, Law Enforcement and local clinics in the surrounding areas.

2. PRASA property recovered in Bofors Circle

  • ECID Law Enforcement made a huge impact in the Epping Area.
  • They conducted various operations where they made multiple arrests.
  • One of the operations they had in front of a business in the CID led them to arrest four individuals for PRASA property.

3. Road Signs Gunners Circle

4. Test Project – Lowering of Sidewalks

  • The ECID is experimenting with a project to lower the sidewalks to make them more pedestrian-friendly. This will be done using part of their social upliftment budget to employ MES Day Workers.
  • In January and February 2024, CCT Roads and Stormwater Department completed all the road markings in Gunners Circle and at all the intersections of all the Avenues, including all Fire Hydrants.

5. Illegal Connections in Epping One 30/01/24

  • The Control Room noticed on the camera there were four men on the open field in Gunners Circle, opposite Grenville Avenue, digging trenches. The ECID Management team and Law Enforcement were dispatched to receive more information. On our arrival, we noticed that people from Langa were busy stealing power from the streetlights in Gunners Circle. The ECID Management team contacted Law Enforcement and the CCT Electrical Department.
  • On the 1st of February, subcontractors for the CCT (Maritz Electrical) arrived and assisted the ECID team by removing the illegal connections.

Additionally, to increase the safety of the staff located in the ECID area, the ECID invested in a project to install turnstiles and is currently installing the turnstiles. These will all be operational from Monday, 13 May 2024.

The turnstiles will be installed at the following sidings:

Fisher Avenue
Benbow Avenue
Bertie Avenue
Packer Avenue
Moorsom Avenue
Dacres Avenue
Kinghall Avenue

In case of emergencies, please call the control room on 021 565 0900.

wheelie bin safety + how to replace your wheelie bin

Wheelie Bin Safety

Learn how to keep your wheelie bin and property safe, or replace a lost bin, with these helpful tips.

Keeping your wheelie bin secure benefits both you and the community. Clearly marking your bin with your house number or address increases the chances of its safe return if it gets misplaced. But security goes beyond just the bin itself. To ensure your overall safety, be mindful of what you throw away. Avoid discarding medication bottles with your name or address visible. Shred any personal documents before disposal to prevent identity theft.

Bin placement also plays a role in security. Leaving your wheelie bin too close to walls or fences creates a potential climbing aid for trespassers. Ideally, store your bin in a designated area, like a garage or shed, whenever possible. If not, position it in a well-lit, open area away from fences and walls. By following these simple tips, you can keep your wheelie bin secure and reduce potential security risks around your property.

Winter Readiness

The crisp air and cosy vibes of winter are fast approaching, but so are the challenges of rain, wind and potential disruptions. Don’t get caught off guard! We’ve got you covered with essential tips to navigate the season seamlessly. 

From keeping your property prepared and business functioning smoothly, to staying safe on the roads, these handy suggestions will help you embrace the winter flow. 

epping cid

Welcoming 2024 – Let’s Create A Better Epping Together

Working together with residents, local businesses and urban management specialists to create a rich urban environment where the Epping community can thrive, we – the Epping City Improvement District – welcome 2024 with the new challenges and opportunities it will provide. Together with the City of Cape Town, our partners, outreach initiatives and you, we will continue to strive towards reinvigorating our urban environment.

Aligned in our collective mission, we are committed to cultivating a thriving urban ecosystem that is safe, accessible and inviting to all the workers, visitors and community members of our district. We are unwavering in our commitment to the property and business owners of our area and intend to consolidate and elevate our services based on the successes of last year.

Please feel free to contact us at any time with queries or concerns and be reminded of our 24-hour security control room number for public safety incidents.

For Public Safety Emergencies Contact

24-hour Geocentric Control Room: 021 565 0900

Let’s embark on this journey together, embracing the challenges and opportunities that 2024 presents, as we collectively shape the future of our Epping community. Together we can create a stable, safe, clean area that is prosperous for our community both economically and socially.

Safety & Fire During the Hot, Dry and Windy Cape Town Summer Months

Cape Town fire season occurs from November through May. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe.

Cape Town is notoriously prone to wildfires that occur in natural vegetation when it is hot and dry in the summer months, which coincide with the windy season – creating ideal conditions for wildfires to occur and quickly get out of control. This season has already been earmarked to be the worst fire season in 8 years.

Cape Town fires are particularly common in the Table Mountain National Park due to the natural conditions in our fynbos ecosystem. But, homes and businesses are not exempt from danger, as any fire can spread quickly and far – up to tens of kilometres from the source. It is most important to keep your home, family and business safe, protecting life and property, as our urban living spaces share a boundary with the national parks in many parts of Cape Town and the Western Cape.

By 18 January 2024, there had been a total of 22 new fire incidents, with SANParks firefighting teams demonstrating swift response and effective containment. This influx has occurred particularly in the southern section of Table Mountain National Park, in Kalk Bay, Oceanview and Red Hill areas, as well as in the north of the park, in the Signal Hill and Pipe Track areas, posing significant risk to the communities living adjacent to the park, particularly with hot temperatures and strong wind conditions being experienced.

Fire Safety Precautions & Interventions

In Cape Town, there are various organisations in place to manage fire safety and interventions that should be taken, both to avoid fire and to control it when it happens. 

Home and work checklist for fire safety

  • Always have a “grab bag” with your important documents in it such as birth certificates and passports.
  • Make sure that all your insurance documents and other important documentation are backed up securely to the cloud.
  • Assign tasks to family members or staff such as placing pets or kids in the car and driving them to safety at a friend’s house out of smoke danger.
  • Run fire drills so that everyone is prepared in an emergency.
  • If you need to stay and help fight fires, cover your head, nose and mouth and protect your eyes with goggles. Wear good shoes and gloves.
  • Wetting the roof and gutters can stop hot ash from burning the roof.
  • Keep grass cut as short grass helps slow down fire.
  • Keep a hose pipe rolled up and ready to put out fires.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher in kitchens and train staff or family members how to use it.
  • If you volunteer on the mountain in a wildfire, take a spade  –  this helps to beat out fire or throw sand on smouldering grass tufts.
  • Always remember, your safety is first and if you are not properly trained, call for assistance. 

Each year, the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service contracts the use of two Huey helicopters and a Cessna 182 spotter plane to support its firefighting efforts. These aircraft allow for mountain wildfires to be combated in inaccessible areas that pose a serious risk to property and life.

For the first time since using the aerial appliances, they are now branded this season, clearly identifiable as City resources.

Emergency & Contact information

Fire and Rescue Service Department

24-hour emergencies:

Telephone: 107 (landline) or 021 480 7700 (cellphone)

General fire safety enquiries:

Telephone: 021 590 1971 / 021 590 1975

To report a fire in the Table Mountain National Park

Please call:

  • Hotline: 086 110 6417 or
  • The City’s Regional Fire Control No: (021) 590 1900
  • Newlands Fire Base: Tel: +27(0) 21 689 7438

Fire Prevention Tips

There are simple preventatives we can all pay heed to – such as not lighting a fire or braai on a hot and windy day, and never extinguishing a cigarette out of doors, such as out of a car window, in grass or when hiking.

For property owners, ember-proofing any area requires the removal of all flammable plants up to 7m from a building, as well as overhanging branches. Checking and cleaning gutters and roofing for debris is important too. 

Other interventions that you can implement on a larger scale include considering your construction materials if you are remodelling and supplementing them for fire-resistant alternatives. You should also ensure full continued compliance with all local and national fire safety codes and think about installing fire protection systems such as overhead sprinklers. 

Unfortunately, despite all the precautions, a fire can happen to any size business at any time. That is why protecting your employees and your property should be a top priority. Following the above steps will help you avoid any fires breaking out and minimise fire-related damages. While there may be no such thing as truly “fireproof,” these guidelines are an excellent starting point for safeguarding your business. 

Resources

Western Cape Government

City of Cape Town

Sanparks

Facebook

Epping ECID grass

Epping City Improvement District 2023 Roundup

It’s been another year of successes and tackling challenges head-on for the Epping City Improvement District. As part of our renewed commitment to public safety and urban cleaning and management, we persist in leading the way toward the continuous improvement of Epping as a thriving business hub.

Our CID team has increased their presence on the ground, resulting in improved statistics across the board for 2023. We’ve driven more kilometres in our patrol vehicles, engaged with more members of the public and attended to more service requests and urban defects than ever before. We’ll continue with this increased presence in the community in 2024 and the years beyond.

This year, with 51 CIDs now in operation in the City of Cape Town, the new CID by-law and policy has come into effect. Geocentric, who has now been working with city improvement district initiatives for more than 2 decades, is proud to be responsible for over 25% of the total CIDs in operation. 

In addition to taking care of the public’s safety, with the implementation of a new law enforcement offer, and urban cleaning, our CID placed a focus on greening and recycling across Epping in 2023, ensuring the general upkeep of the area. Our urban beautification and improvement projects will be continued throughout 2024, in line with the goal of continuously upgrading our community. 

2023 Epping City Improvement District Stats

“Despite the challenges of a struggling economy, ongoing load shedding and higher fuel prices, the aim of the ECID remained focussed on delivering top-up services to the public spaces of Epping throughout the year,” says Gene Lohrentz of Geocentric Urban Management, tasked with the delivery of our City Improvement District services.

The ECID Board and Geocentric management team is committed to finding innovative, efficient and cost-effective ways to continue delivering on the vision for a safer, cleaner, well-maintained and vibrant community.  We look forward to more opportunities to make a tangible difference in 2024.

Recycling Project

The Geocentric recycling project has been initiated in Epping! This project includes separating recyclable litter from non-recyclable litter. We are thereby preventing recyclable items from ending up in landfills.

Going forward, Geocentric’s long-term plan is to introduce even more green bins to the area to combat litter, and service these bins to separate recyclable and non-recyclable litter as part of their Environmental Upliftment and Sustainability Programme for Epping.

A new Impact Grass Cutting Team for Epping

Making a positive visual impact on the Epping area is a high priority for the ECID. Due to the very wet winter we experienced this year, cutting the grass adequately and safely became difficult. Geocentric is using the warmer months to address the long grass in the area.

Long grass is problematic because it not only looks untidy, but also becomes a litter trap. As we head towards the summer months, the grass dries out and becomes a fire hazard.

In response to these challenges and in line with our goal to keep Epping visually appealing, we have put together an Impact Grass Cutting Team. For the first month, we have deployed four staff members and thereafter we will have two staff members ensuring consistent maintenance of the grass in the area.

What’s more – all the staff recruited for this project were from Mould Empower Serve, an NGO that helps homeless and unemployed people. Geocentric has equipped this team with a Lawn Buggy, which includes a lawn mower, leaf blower, brush cutters and all other equipment needed to complete the job.

Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

As the festive season approaches, it is essential to prioritise safety at this time, as crime, accidents and fire hazards are usually on the rise during the holiday period.

Being mindful of potential risks and hazards can help safeguard you, your business and your property – from road safety considerations to vigilance against petty crimes in crowded business premises to more serious crimes such as hijacking and robbery. 

Along with keeping your personal safety in mind, if you are a business owner, it is imperative to be vigilant and proactive in implementing strategies that protect your assets, property and staff during the busiest time of year. 


Prevention is better than cure. That’s why we urge property and business owners to make every effort to prepare their properties, businesses, staff and themselves against opportunists and criminals with our safety tips below:

Emergency Numbers

Quick access to relevant emergency numbers can be the difference between life and death. We have compiled a comprehensive list for you to save and share for easy access to these numbers.

Once again, our 24-hour security control room is always available for your public safety emergencies.

Whatsapp group info 

If you’re interested in staying informed about our initiatives, as well as the newest developments in your improvement district, you can become a member of our ECID business WhatsApp group by:

• Sending a WhatsApp message to 081 869 8911.

• You will need to include your Name and Surname or the name of your business

• You will need to include your street address, which should be within the boundary of the CID

• We will add you to the relevant CID Community Group

Rules and regulations for communicating will be stipulated in the group.

ECID

AGM save the date + Spring update from ECID

This October, we hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM 2023) to review the year’s activities and begin our planning for 2024/25. We hope all our members can attend. Non-members still have time to register. The new City of Cape Town CID by-law and policy came into effect on 1 July and that is available to view online.

Some good news for ECID: we have recently employed a law enforcement officer from the City to work with our own public safety officers and patrol team. We have also made progress in the Bonteheuwel PTI development. And in other news from Epping CID, the Business Retention and Expansion programme has launched and is rolling out its first workshops.

Lastly, the recent bout of storms and cold fronts experienced in the Cape have certainly added to the work of the CIDs, in particular in the way of road maintenance and fallen trees. We’d like to remind you at this time to assist us in providing effective service by logging a service request for any faults encountered.

Read more below.

Our AGM is coming up

All stakeholders are invited to a review of the year’s activities and planning for 2024/25.

Resolutions presented at the AGM can only be voted for by bonafide members. All non-members wishing to take part must be registered before 13 October.

View all AGM documents here.

AGM Details

Tuesday, 24 October 2023, 10:00
24 Gunners Circle, Epping 1
RSVP to ecid@ecid.org.za

New CID By-law Policy

The new CID by-law policy came into effect from 1 July, which serves “To provide for the establishment of City Improvement Districts; to provide for additional rates; and to provide for matters incidental thereto.”

The City of Cape Town’s by-law and policy regarding the establishment and management of City Improvement Districts has gone through several iterations over the years since the concept of a CID was first tested in the year 2000.

The latest revisions of the by-law and policy comes as more than 50 CIDs are now in operation.

The by-law is available to download online here at openbylaws.org.za.

Business Retention Expansion Epping

Business Retention & Expansion programme

This May, the Business Retention & Expansion Programme was launched in Epping. We’d like to thank those of you who attended and participated in the survey. The first workshops with business and property owners will be taking place starting from this month, unpacking the areas of priority with the City for analysis to speak to the challenges and potential solutions. The areas of focus include road infrastructure management, safety and security, the informal settlement opposite the Cape Town market, and the process of acquiring the railway sidings running between the properties in the industrial areas.

According to Invest Cape Town, “The initiative, managed by the Business Retention & Expansion Branch housed within the Investment Facilitation Branch (IFB), in the Enterprise and Investment Department in partnership with the Stikland Industrial City Improvement District, will assist large and small businesses in the area to strategise their operations and, where possible, help to expedite their development.” Read more about this here.

Bonteheuwel PTI update

We are in a continuous process of engaging both the City as well as PRASA and Metrorail with regards the formalisation of the Bonteheuwel Station Precinct on the Epping Improvement District side. Bonteheuwel Station doesn’t have a formal precinct here, resulting in an informal transport interchange with an interaction between taxis, commuters entering the industrial area and the train station. We are working towards a long-term plan to formalise the precinct through a multi-governmental agency approach to make it more user-friendly, to formalise the activities and to improve the safety on the precinct.

New law enforcement officer for Epping

In many of our CIDs, we utilise the opportunity to employ, on contract from the City, a law enforcement officer. They are then placed by Law Enforcement in that CID to work alongside the public safety team of the CID. For several years, the Epping CID did not have the service of a law enforcement officer. We have now rectified that situation by employing a law enforcement officer, who often patrols the area with our patrol officers in one of our patrol vehicles.

The law enforcement officer has the ability to deal with by-law infringements as well as non-moving traffic violations. Should it be necessary, that officer also has the power of arrest to assist us should there be an incident. We are very grateful to now have the backing of the City in this in order to improve the effectiveness of our public safety efforts in the Epping City Improvement District.

Logging a service request with the City

You too can assist with urban management and the growing number of faults and service requests that the City and WID deal with on a daily basis. By reporting water and electricity faults and other maintenance requirements such as potholes, missing road signs or blocked stormwater drains, through the correct channels, we and the City are able to attend to these service requests and log their status in an effective way.

There are multiple channels through which you can do this – the easiest being the online portal at capetown.gov.za/servicerequests, which is also now available in the City of Cape Town mobile app.

View all the steps to log a service request on the flyers below.

Business Retention Expansion Epping

Take the Survey: Business Retention & Expansion

https://forms.gle/SdzmtnZEQPmkEHhQ8

In partnership with The City of Cape Town, the Epping City Improvement District recently launched its Business Retention and Expansion programme (BR&E) on 8 May 2023, aimed at identifying opportunities for local businesses and addressing obstacles to expansion and growth.

Epping’s Business Retention and Expansion programme (BR&E) aims to engage with businesses in the industrial area by means of a task team and a structured survey tool to identify business ideas, concerns, priorities and obstacles to retention and expansion.

The information gleaned from this survey will allow the task team to identify and understand the most pressing issues and develop action plans to address them. Proposals and action plans will be presented and discussed in a meeting of all participants at the end of the survey process. This meeting will provide a further opportunity to give input into improving the business environment of the Epping Industrial area.

The success of this programme is dependent on the participation of all businesses located in the Epping Industrial area. Please encourage your neighbouring businesses, suppliers, and customers in Epping to participate in the survey.

The survey can be accessed via the following Google form link: https://forms.gle/SdzmtnZEQPmkEHhQ8

Cape Town winter storm

Are You Ready to Go with the Cape Town Winter Flow? Essential Tips for a Smooth Season + Loadshedding Updates from the City

As the chilly and wet winter season approaches, it’s time to prepare ourselves for the unique challenges and delights that it brings.

From the brisk air to the rain-soaked streets, Cape Town winter demands our attention and readiness. Here, we explore practical tips to help you navigate the winter months with ease. From maintaining your home and business’ functionality to prioritising safety on the roads, these essential suggestions will ensure you’re well-prepared to go with the flow this winter. Let’s dive in and discover how to make the most of the wet season while keeping everything running smoothly.

Cape Town winter readiness tips

Continue reading →