An iconic coastal destination, uMhlanga Rocks is a place of sandcastles, surfing and ice-creams, where families make lasting memories; a location for business and investment; an ideal setting for friends to dine; a home for young and old. uMhlanga Rocks strives to create a welcoming and integrated mix of attractions for everyone, making it a work, rest and play destination of choice in KwaZulu-Natal.
uMhlanga property owners established the uMhlanga Urban Improvement Precincts (UIPs) to:
To achieve this end the UIP partners with the eThekwini Municipality to ensure that this key node delivers an exceptional experience of public space. The UIP management team is constantly responding to the ever-evolving needs of uMhlanga, whether it be service levels or special projects. This said the fundamentals of managing crime and grime will always be the top priority and remain the foundation of the UIPs’ success.
There are two official uMhlanga UIPs, namely the uMhlanga Promenade UIP (PUIP) and the uMhlanga Village UIP (VUIP), and three Associated Managed Areas, namely Northern Promenade Properties (NPP); Southern Promenade Properties (SPP) and Marine Drive Westside Properties (MDWP) and Park to Park (PTP).
Operationally managed as one precinct, these UIPs account for commercial and residential usage (over 3000 individually rated properties); cover 12 kilometres of public roads, servitudes, and promenade, and represent a combined municipal valuation of approximately R12.8 billion.
The Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) is based on the Municipal Property Rates Act of 2004, which makes provision for the establishment of what is technically termed a Special Rating Area (SRA). The SRA is a defined geographic area within which the majority of property owners agree to pay for certain services supplementary to those supplied by the municipality.
The Act requires the Municipality to approve an SRA Policy to specify the SRA establish process and management criteria. The municipal SRA policy requires the establishment of a Non-Profit Company comprising a board of non-remunerated directors. The board is constituted of property owners or appointed representatives to represent property owners within the SRA. Furthermore, the SRA policy requires the UIP Board to approve an annual business plan and budget specifically for the service requirements of the defined UIP area. The business plan and budget are approved annually by the municipality together with a finance agreement.
The company’s Memorandum of Incorporation provides for specific responsibilities of the board of directors which includes the hosting of an Annual General Meeting and appointment of directors. This gives the property owners control of their contributions, ensuring transparency and accountability.
The UIP budget is funded by property owners in the UIP area and is calculated on a pro rata basis against assessed property values. This payment is levied on the municipal rates bill and collected by the municipality, free of charge, on behalf of the independent Non-Profit Company, which represents member interests. Once the formation of the UIP is approved by Council all property owners within its boundaries are legislatively obligated to contribute to the UIP.
Official UIPs
The uMhlanga UIPs consist of the uMhlanga Promenade UIP established in March 2003, and the Village UIP established in July 2008, are collectively known as the uMhlanga UIP and represent 29 large erven. Each UIP is organisationally and financially independent but work together to ensure strategic alignment with both areas managed as one precinct.
The UIPs are recognised by the municipality as official service providers to public areas. Each UIP has an annual service agreement with the municipality specifying what services are to be provided. The UIP status of an official service provider allows for significant leverage in optimising municipal service delivery.
Associate Managed Areas
The UIP has 4 Associate Managed Areas, Northern Promenade Properties (NPP); Southern Promenade Properties (SPP) and Marine Drive Westside Properties (MDWP). Each area has a management committee constituted by the respective property owners, property owners control their contributions, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Each management committees approves an annual service plan and budget detailing specific service requirements for their areas and a member contributions schedule. Each committee has their own method for establishing equitable contributions to fund the respective budgets which are paid by the body corporates on behalf of individual property owners. Although the UIPs and Associate Managed Areas have their own independent institutional structures, they are strategically aligned for mutual benefit.
Contracting Structure
The UIP Non-Profit Company contracts an urban management company to provide operational management of the UIP and service providers to deliver supplementary services such as security, landscaping etc. The UIP board ensures performance oversight of service delivery and provides financial governance. The UIP Non-Profit Company, although inviting a municipal representative to attend UIP board meetings, runs independently of the municipality and is answerable to UIP (SRA) members.
UUIP Precinct Manager, Dewet Geldenhuys, with operational guidance from Jarrod Evans are at the Precinct’s operational coalface, performance managing the UUIPs service providers to ensure the precinct remains a thriving and sought after lifestyle destination.
Dewet and Jarrod are assisted by a specialist professional management team, which includes the following areas: Corporate Governance, Finance, Development Control, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement. This transversal supportive structure provides for capacitated, versatile and cost-effective management enabling the operations team to focus on service delivery.
Our full management scope includes:
Dewet Geldenhuys
UUIP Precinct Manager
UIP/Municipal Partnerships: Optimising Service Delivery
Optimising municipal service levels and lobbying for investment in infrastructure is a core focus of the management team. For this reason, the UIP conducts an audit of infrastructure faults: lights out, damaged signage, blocked sewers, potholes, etc. on a daily basis. The faults are reported through the municipal fault reporting call centre and, if relevant, a photo of the fault is emailed to the responsible person at the municipality. If it is an urgent matter, it is also followed up telephonically. Faults are logged on a UIP management system and followed up on a regular basis until repaired. For this reason, a large proportion of the UIP management time is allocated to optimising municipal service delivery.
The UIP, on behalf of members and associated members, actively participates in the Municipal Planning Forum to ensure that property owners’ interests are brought to the fore at the planning phase of public area infrastructure. Importantly, the UIP experience gained from servicing public areas is fed back into design phase of upgrades with the aim of ensuring functionality and aesthetic design which is cost effective to service and maintain.
Importantly investor confidence is being bolstered by the ongoing municipal investment in substantial infrastructure upgrades within the precincts:
The UIP has a proactive approach to security, with the focus of identifying possible criminal intent before it occurs and taking corrective action. It does this by deploying a 24-hour, 7 day a week well managed security team in public areas who support Metro Police and SAPS policing.
Building partnerships with the SAPF, Metro Police and the Community Policing Forum is critical in ensuring effective management. The UIP has a strong working relationship with both Metro Police and SAPF, resulting in a Safer uMhlanga for All.
The UIP fulfils a vital role by integrating the various security entities and resources in the precincts, a key component of which is the UIP Monthly Security Forum attended by private security companies servicing UIP properties and property managers. The aim of the forum is to proactively improve the level of security in the UIP precincts through integration, sharing intelligence, and ensuring operational assistance in emergencies. These meetings are minuted with a monthly UIP crime report and crime statistics provided for incidents reported to the UIP.
UIP Security Resourcing
The UIP security provider is Marshall Security, who were appointed in 2021 after a tender process.
Marshall Security’s performance is actively measured against a Service Level Agreement, which is amended as the needs of the precinct change. Since its appointment, Marshall has measurably improved safety in uMhlanga’s public areas. The UIP’s resources on the ground are visible indicators of the management that is taking place. These resources include:
Contracting Structure
The UIP Non-Profit Company contracts an urban management company to provide operational management of the UIP and service providers to deliver supplementary services such as security, landscaping etc. The UIP board ensures performance oversight of service delivery and provides financial governance. The UIP Non-Profit Company, although inviting a municipal representative to attend UIP board meetings, runs independently of the municipality and is answerable to UIP (SRA) members.
uMhlanga is an open access precinct.
This means that there are no access-controlled areas other than those for official vehicles e.g. Beach Lifeguard, Metro Police etc. In an open Precinct all infrastructure (such as stormwater, roads, sidewalks, streetlights) is owned and can only be serviced by the Municipality.
Who is the authority in public spaces?
The Municipality remains the authority of public space and is also responsible for bylaw enforcement. The UIP does however request the publics compliance with bylaws, which while not always successful, does however achieve a high degree of success – what is most important, is getting the messaging and reasoning correct and in context… not always an easy task. SAPS are responsible for Policing services i.e., crime prevention, investigation and arrests i.e., the UIP has no legal mandate to fulfil these functions except in the case of a civil arrest as provided for in Section 42 of the Criminal Procedure Act.