Coverage in South Africa
Fully operational national coverage with 56+ official layers across five canonical groups. The viewer unifies the Chief Surveyor-General cadastre (7.2M erven + farm parcels), the Eskom transmission network with published per-substation connection capacity (GCCA), the REIPPPP pipeline of awarded renewable projects, REDZ zones and EGI corridors, pre-calculated environmental sensitivity from the DFFE Environmental Screening Tool, SANBI BGIS biodiversity data, SAHRA-graded heritage sites, DWS hydrography and Council for Geoscience geology, with professional overlay and export tools. World-class solar and wind resource data is included as market context.
Sectors and use cases
Renewables (utility-scale solar PV · wind)
World-class solar/wind resource, per-substation GCCA connection capacity, REDZ zones and EGI corridors, DFFE sensitivity differentiated for solar PV/wind.
Land due diligence
Screening of land portfolios and identification of critical constraints before closing options.
Environmental consulting
Overlay with CBA/ESA, protected areas, EIA sensitivity and bird data for Basic Assessment and Scoping+EIR processes.
Engineering and infrastructure
Eskom grid, NGI roads, railways, aviation restrictions, defence and radar.
Mining and geology
CGS surface geology, faults, industrial minerals, mines and induced seismicity.
Cadastre and tenure
Surveyor-General erven, farm parcels, Ingonyama Trust, traditional authorities and homelands.
Agriculture
National Land Capability, protected agricultural areas and land use.
Public administration
Technical evaluation of initiatives with full traceability by layer and official source.
Catalogue of modules
Each module syncs with its official source and shows the date of its latest publication. Organised into 6 standard categories (Cadastre · Planning · Territorial · Infrastructure · Environment · Hydrography).
Cadastre and administrative division
- •Erf cadastre — Chief Surveyor-General (7.2M parcels, SG21KEY code)
- •MDB farm parcels — Farm Location Finder (100,508)
- •Provinces (9), district municipalities (52) and local/metro municipalities (214) — MDB
- •Communal tenure — Ingonyama Trust, traditional authorities, homelands
Planning and land use
- •Wall-to-wall zoning by metro/capital (Cape Town, eThekwini, Tshwane, Mangaung, Polokwane)
- •National settlements and towns (29,512)
- •Land Capability — national agricultural land capability
- •Protected agricultural areas (557)
Renewable energy and development zones
- •Awarded REIPPPP projects — bid windows 1-4b (98, with technology and MW)
- •REDZ — Renewable Energy Development Zones (11)
- •Strategic EGI transmission corridors (7) and gas pipeline corridors (9)
- •DFFE Screening EIA sensitivity — heritage, birds and defence, differentiated for solar PV/wind
Infrastructure
- •Eskom grid — existing transmission lines (348) + planned (96)
- •MTS substations (198) with connection capacity (MVA) + GCCA and supply areas
- •NGI roads (9,477) and railways (33,905)
- •SACAA aviation restrictions — airspace, radar and aerodromes (634)
- •Defence and military sites with buffers (1,251)
- •Telecoms, broadcasting and the SKA radio-astronomy exclusion zone
Environment and heritage
- •CBA/ESA — Critical Biodiversity Areas and Ecological Support Areas (SANBI)
- •Terrestrial protected areas SAPAD (1,562) and marine protected areas MPA (41)
- •VEGMAP (48,732), NBA threat status, RLE 2021 and threatened ecosystems
- •Important Bird Areas IBA (175) and World Heritage Sites (9)
- •SAHRA-graded heritage sites (55,167 sites, I/II/IIIa-c)
Hydrography and water
- •DWS Water Management Areas (8) and Primary→Quaternary catchments
- •NFEPA rivers (797) and DWS 50k river network (perennial + non-perennial)
- •Major DWS dams (615) and reservoirs
- •Strategic surface water source areas (SWSA, 22) and groundwater source areas (57)
Official data sources integrated
Chief Surveyor-General (CSG/DALRRD)
Erf cadastre (7.2M parcels, SG21KEY code) and farm parcels.
Eskom / NTCSA — GCCA
Transmission lines, MTS substations with connection capacity (MVA) and supply areas.
NTCSA — REIPPPP
Awarded renewable projects (bid windows 1-4b) with technology and MW.
DFFE — Environmental Screening Tool
Pre-calculated EIA sensitivity (heritage, birds, defence, aviation), differentiated for solar PV/wind.
DFFE — REDZ and EGI corridors
Renewable Energy Development Zones and strategic transmission and gas corridors.
SANBI BGIS
CBA/ESA, protected areas (SAPAD), MPA, VEGMAP, NBA, RLE, IBA and strategic water source areas (SWSA).
SAHRA
Graded heritage sites (I/II/IIIa-c) and protection buffers.
DWS — Department of Water and Sanitation
Water Management Areas, catchments, NFEPA/50k rivers and dams.
Council for Geoscience (CGS)
Surface geology 1:1M, faults, industrial minerals and seismicity.
Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB)
Provinces, districts and local/metro municipalities.
Metro municipalities (CoCT, eThekwini, Tshwane…)
Wall-to-wall zoning by capital/metro at parcel level.
Blocking restrictions detected
Overlay the project boundary with local critical layers to rule out unviable candidates before investing time in environmental assessment, grid connection or acquisition.
"Very High" EIA sensitivity (DFFE Screening)
Pre-calculated EIA buffers that escalate a project from a Basic Assessment to a full Scoping+EIR process.
CBA/ESA and protected areas
Critical Biodiversity Areas, SAPAD and MPA either block or place conditions on development, depending on the management plan.
SAHRA heritage grading
Grade I-IIIc sites require a Heritage Impact Assessment and a permit under the NHRA.
Bird sensitivity (wind)
Nesting sites and vultures carry extended buffers — the main factor differentiating wind feasibility from solar PV.
Eskom connection capacity (GCCA)
Without available MVA at the nearest substation (CLNLimit), the project cannot connect to the grid.
SKA exclusion zone (Karoo)
Radio-astronomy restrictions on telecommunications and development within the Astronomy Geographic Advantage Area.
Aviation and defence restrictions
Restricted airspace, radar buffers (15/35 km) and military sites limit height and land occupation.
Communal tenure (Ingonyama Trust / traditional authorities)
Land under traditional tenure requires negotiation with the relevant authority and increases acquisition risk.
Applicable regulatory framework
| Regulation | Scope of application |
|---|---|
| NEMA — Act 107 of 1998 | National Environmental Management Act — environmental impact assessment (EIA). |
| NEMPAA — Act 57 of 2003 | Protected Areas Act — terrestrial and marine protected areas. |
| SPLUMA — Act 16 of 2013 | Spatial Planning and Land Use Management — municipal planning and zoning. |
| NHRA — Act 25 of 1999 | National Heritage Resources Act — heritage and SAHRA grading. |
| National Water Act — Act 36 of 1998 | Water resources, use authorisations and riparian zones. |
| Electricity Regulation Act — Act 4 of 2006 | Generation, grid connection and the REIPPPP programme. |
Applicable framework: NEMA (Act 107 of 1998, EIA), NEMPAA (Act 57 of 2003, protected areas), SPLUMA (Act 16 of 2013, planning and zoning), NHRA (Act 25 of 1999, heritage), National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998, water), Electricity Regulation Act (Act 4 of 2006, grid and REIPPPP).
Frequently asked questions
Glossary South Africa
- REIPPPP
- Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme — South Africa's renewable energy procurement programme.
- REDZ
- Renewable Energy Development Zones — zones with fast-tracked environmental processing (Basic Assessment).
- GCCA
- Eskom's Grid Capacity / Connection Assessment — available connection capacity per substation (MVA).
- CBA / ESA
- Critical Biodiversity Areas / Ecological Support Areas — SANBI's conservation priority areas.
- Screening EIA (DFFE)
- Environmental Screening Tool with pre-calculated environmental sensitivity by technology.
- SG21KEY
- The Chief Surveyor-General's official parcel code identifying each erf.
- SAHRA
- South African Heritage Resources Agency — grades heritage sites (I/II/IIIa-c).
- SKA
- Square Kilometre Array — radio-astronomy exclusion zone in the Karoo.
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