safer            cleaner          smarter

Who are OBSID?

The Observatory Improvement District NPC (OBSID) is a City Improvement District (CID) also known
as a Special Rating Area (SRA).OBSID was officially ratified by Cape Town City council in July 2009 after the majority of property owners voted in favour of Observatory becoming a Special Rating Area (SRA).

The OBSID includes both a residential and a commercial component. Included in the services
provided by OBSID are security, cleaning, greening, social issues and special projects to enrich the
community. All property owners with-in the OBSID footprint can become members of OBSID by way
of completion of a membership form. Although all are required to contribute the extra levy, to
become a member a form must be completed for the property owner to become a registered
member of the OBSID.

What is an Improvement District? 

CIDs are established by agreement of businesses and/or residents in a particular area as the purpose
of a CID is to „top up‟ services provided by the City Council. Once 51% of the property owners have
voted in favour of a CID, the CID then receives assistance- and is mandated by the City of Cape
Town‟s SRA office and it‟s Policy. CIDs receive their funding from City, who collects the moneys by
way of an additional (compulsory) rates levy to all ratepayers within the CID footprint.

Why OBSID? 

OBSID is so-called as Obs is the general shortened term for the suburb in which it operates (Observatory) and thus reads and is pronounced Obs Improvement District /OBSID.

OBSID work through Committees:

OBSID Committees include;

Management, Environment, Safety & Social Issues, Internal Audit, Oversight Governance & HR,
Communications, Business Development and Arts Sport Heritage & Culture Committees.

Work to be done is discussed in the relative Committees pertaining to the area, such as Environment

(Committee) for cleaning and Safety and Social Issues for public safety. Committees meet monthly
or some only quarterly and are made up out of one or more Directors, the COO, the OM and
volunteers willing to partake in/take on projects on the OBSID‟s behalf.

Observatory, Cape Town

For more information about what an Improvements District and a SRA is, who benefits, who pays, how much and why, etc read this article.