Articles

FROM THE DESK | Mapping Tribal Village Demarcations

FROM THE DESK | Mapping Tribal Village Demarcations

Most South African villages are comprised of geopolitical boundaries that are not accurately reflected in official government demarcations
DATA DAY | Infographic: Footprint of a Fruit Trader

DATA DAY | Infographic: Footprint of a Fruit Trader

It’s a common sight in South Africa to see someone selling fruit at the traffic lights. Most of us drive past without a second thought.
VIEWPOINT | The Geospatial Planner

VIEWPOINT | The Geospatial Planner

There is increasing demand for Geospatial Planners that are able to harness and deploy geospatial solutions for development planning.
DATA DAY | Minibus Taxi Tube Map

DATA DAY | Minibus Taxi Tube Map

South Africa's minibus taxis are a vital part of public transport, but we lack public information about them.
DATA DAY | Futures Past: Johannesburg Tramway Network 1951

DATA DAY | Futures Past: Johannesburg Tramway Network 1951

For those born after 1960 it is hard to picture a city like Johannesburg as ever having an extensive and fully fledged tram system.
VIEWPOINT | Lexis Nexis releases ‘SPLUMA – A Practical Guide’

VIEWPOINT | Lexis Nexis releases ‘SPLUMA – A Practical Guide’

SPLUMA – A Practical Guide, compiled in part by our friend and colleague Advocate Nic Laubscher (B.Juris LL.B)
DATA DAY | Yesterday’s data Today: Old Maps Online

DATA DAY | Yesterday’s data Today: Old Maps Online

Old Maps Online! Here you can find high-res scans of historical maps in different archive collections from around the world.
FROM THE DESK | Finding Groundwater with Thermal Imagery

FROM THE DESK | Finding Groundwater with Thermal Imagery

We are a water scarce country and Thermal imagery is one of the tools that we can use to improve our ability to plan for water security.
DATA DAY | Africa, Uncolonized: A Detailed Look at an Alternate Continent

DATA DAY | Africa, Uncolonized: A Detailed Look at an Alternate Continent

While not the boundaries of today’s Nation States, many of these regions exist in some form or another as de facto geopolitical elements.
VIEWPOINT | The Indigenisation of South African Planning

VIEWPOINT | The Indigenisation of South African Planning

South Africa is a multicultural nation. Her erstwhile international identity as a bastion of legislated racism is today juxtaposed...
DATA DAY | City Data as the Universal Language

DATA DAY | City Data as the Universal Language

Online data portals are becoming more commonplace. The opportunities of increased access to data are now offset by uncertainty over quality.
DATA DAY | Western Cape Settlements: 1650 – 1950

DATA DAY | Western Cape Settlements: 1650 – 1950

South Africa's oldest town is Cape Town, established in 1652. Yet few know when other old towns like Stellenbosch, were established.
FROM THE DESK | Urban Apartheid Spatial Legacies

FROM THE DESK | Urban Apartheid Spatial Legacies

Most South African cities still exhibit apartheid settlement patterns. Discrete areas of racial concentration and a variety of buffer elements
DATA DAY | A Household Name: How to say “Shack” in different parts of South Africa

DATA DAY | A Household Name: How to say “Shack” in different parts of South Africa

Up to 10 million South Africans live in shacks; simple huts built from corrugated iron sheets attached to a basic wooden frame.
DATA DAY | Official Languages in Gauteng Suburbs – 2011

DATA DAY | Official Languages in Gauteng Suburbs – 2011

Dominance of certain languages in Gauteng suburbs shows an interesting picture when one removes English from the analysis of 2011 Census Data
DATA DAY | Fossil Republic: United States of Stellaland

DATA DAY | Fossil Republic: United States of Stellaland

Here is a map of one of South Africa’s lesser known former Boer Republics, ‘Stellaland’, located in the North West Province.