The Cape Town Partnership was an independent non-profit organisation (Section 21 company) governed by a board of directors.

The Partnership was created in 1999 when the City of Cape Town, the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other stakeholders came together to address the impact of urban decay, capital flight and the wicked problems present in Cape Town's City Bowl/Central Business District (CBD) area.

Safety, cleaning and social development are focus areas of the Central City Improvement District.

The Partnership promoted investment within the CBD whilst seeking to reduce the negative impact of gentrification and development-induced displacement.

The Cape Town Partnership was involved in street-level activations such as the facilitating and co-sponsoring the first smart bench in Cape Town,[9] performances of famous musicians in public spaces,[10] and in making public spaces in Cape Town's central business district more convenient as places of cultural expression, as seen by the #100AfricanReads project[11] during City Walk Saturdays.