For 16 years businesses in the suburb of Edenvale in the Ekurhuleni metro have worked to revive the main business strips of the suburb. They have operated as the Edenvale City Improvement District and over the years have helped maintain areas around their shop fronts and improved security and general safety.

However, in June this year they decided to rebrand as a way to renew their efforts and to have greater collaboration, accountability and visibility. The initiative is now called Better Edenvale and is part of the Better Neighbourhoods network that has been set up as a collective of community improvement non-profit organisations. Currently Better Neighbourhoods includes the suburbs of Bedfordview, Fourways, Primrose, Senderwood and Linksfield. 

The aim is that as a movement and a collective of residents and businesses they will be able to be a stronger united front to demand better service delivery, to engage with authorities and to make positive change happen in their suburbs.

What was the problem?

More suburbs across the country are feeling the dire consequences of local authorities failing to meet their mandates to deliver basic services. The problems range from unreliable power and water supply, unchecked crime, a lack of street cleaning and repairs to roads and traffic infrastructure and a lack of provision of services for the homeless and destitute. 

For the business owners of the Edenvale City Improvement District, there was growing frustration of having to try to uphold their end of helping maintain the main business areas of the suburb while facing a lack of cooperation and even obstructive practices from the council.

Marc De Sousa of Better Edenvale told fixlocal they were previously able to get businesses to contribute to cleaning and maintenance services through a fee added to rates bills for business premises. 

But a court challenge made this an illegal charge and it left the payments for cleaning, security and maintenance as a voluntary contribution. 

“The council owns about 50% of the buildings in the business district in Edenvale so they were no longer paying their share. It meant we were trying to do the job of maintaining the business district but with significantly less funds over the years,” says Da Sousa.  

How did they fix it?

The group, which is a volunteer-driven organisation, decided to join the Better Neighbourhoods initiative in winter this year. Da Sousa says that rebranding and relaunching have brought new vigour to their efforts.

“Just imagine what we will be able to achieve as more suburbs band together under the initiative. We can link hands and work as a unit,” he says.

“The council was doing next to zero of the jobs they were supposed to do but we as business have to do our part. And the fact is that the local communities support us so we have to step up and support this initiative for the community,” he says.

The model now works on donations. The standard donations are at R500 a month, but larger businesses contribute more of around R1000 a month. Da Sousa says there is also better bookkeeping and transparency and their projects have also gone beyond the business district. 

“We have to start doing things ourselves. When we take action it helps to fight negativity about what the council should be doing,” he says. 

What makes it work?

Adapting to change – recognising the need to rebrand and join new partners was important for the Edenvale City Improvement District to bring new energy to their initiative and to reshape the relationship with local authorities and the metro.

A strong web presence  -  Better Edenvale’s website sets out its vision, the kind of projects it wants to tackle and has the same branding as Better Neighbourhoods. It also includes a page to give advertising to businesses that are sponsors and directs people to both its financial records and ways to contribute.  

Getting started on visible projects – the group has started cleaning the streets, weeding walkways and getting behind a park clean-up and restoration project. The crews wear clothing with Better Edenvale branding that further raises its profile in the community. 

Reporting to the community via social media – regular updates with before and after photos show the community that work is being done. It inspires confidence, builds positivity and encourages more people to get involved and to contribute.  

Acknowledgements

Author: FixLocal Reporter

Additional articles/ sources: 

The Citizen  - www.citizen.co.za/bedfordview-edenvale-news/news-headlines/local-news/2025/07/02/etter-edenvale-launches-with-denver-park-clean-up/

Photograph: Better Edenvale