Deputy Minister Seiso Mohai leads provincial Geospatial Information Management Strategy (GIMS) Roadshow in Ethekwini, Kwazulu-Natal

Deputy Minister Seiso Mohai leads provincial Geospatial Information Management Strategy (GIMS) Roadshow in Ethekwini, Kwazulu-Natal.

The Office of the Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Honourable Seiso Mohai, MP, today led the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Geospatial Information Management Strategy (GIMS) Roadshow at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.

This Roadshow forms part of a national programme to institutionalise geospatial information management as a core pillar of South Africa’s planning, monitoring and evaluation system.

In his address, Deputy Minister Mohai outlined the strategic importance of GIMS in the current administration’s Medium-Term Development Plan and the broader national development trajectory.

He emphasised that “the planning environment and the use of data and the spaces for development” must be understood together, as development takes place in specific geographic locations where people live, work and experience daily realities.

The Deputy Minister reiterated that “the plan doesn’t happen in space. The plan happens in various locations in a particular geographic space in the localities,” underscoring the need to understand the development needs and challenges of the places where plans are to be implemented.

GIMS therefore introduces a spatial lens into governance, enabling the state to see development not only in aggregate numbers, but in concrete places, communities and lived realities.

Despite progress in expanding access to basic services, infrastructure and social support, development in South Africa remains spatially uneven.

The Deputy Minister noted that many spaces are characterised by unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment, yet “there are people staying in those spaces,” and their conditions must be central to how government plans and allocates resources.

He stressed that government must “follow intelligent systems of planning and data capturing” in order to identify underserved areas with precision, target interventions where they are needed most, and monitor the impact of programmes over time.

GIMS seeks to confront the legacy of spatial inequality by ensuring that location, geography and place are systematically integrated into decision-making and resource allocation.

The Provincial GIMS Roadshow represents the next phase of moving from policy to practice following the national launch of GIMS on 19 September 2025 by the Minister in the Presidency.

Through this Roadshow, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, aims to:
Institutionalise and operationalise GIMS across all three spheres of government.
Strengthen alignment between national priorities and provincial and municipal planning frameworks.
Promote the adoption of spatial tools and systems in everyday governance and service delivery.
Build technical and institutional capacity among provincial and municipal stakeholders.
Enhance geospatial data governance, interoperability and the use of geospatial evidence for decision-making, monitoring and evaluation.

The programme includes strategic inputs, case studies from provincial and municipal partners, a live demonstration of the DPME Geospatial Enabled Dashboard and geospatial tools, as well as an interactive discussion session.

Deputy Minister Mohai expressed appreciation to the leadership of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality for hosting the Roadshow and for their continued partnership with DPME.

He commended eThekwini as a leading example of how geospatial information can be applied to address complex urban and climate-related challenges.

He noted that eThekwini frequently experiences “very unusual weather patterns, which because of climate change” result in floods and various disruptions.

The municipality’s ability to “recall, collect data and look into spaces that are damaged” has enabled it to emphasise smart planning approaches and more resilient municipal development.

This experience provides a best-practice model that can inform replication in other municipalities and districts across the country.
The Deputy Minister reminded stakeholders that DPME is mandated “to change the behavior of how government does things, how it conducts its business.”

This includes influencing the culture of planning and decision-making so that spatial evidence, credible data and geospatial intelligence become standard features of government processes.

He indicated that where best-practice models emerge, “we would like it to be replicated elsewhere in the country of South Africa,” thereby strengthening coherence and equity in development efforts.

Collaboration with municipal professionals, experts and academic institutions is essential to refine tools, build capacity and support the uptake of GIMS across sectors and spheres of government.

A key pillar of sustainability for GIMS is the development of a robust skills pipeline within and beyond the public sector.

Deputy Minister Mohai welcomed the participation of learners and students from diverse disciplines, noting that “learners being inspired also for career choice of the future” will help to ensure that the system can be sustained over time.

He highlighted the importance of drawing on “diverse skills as we require because there are science students that are here, there are different students that study around geography and so forth.”

Building this talent base will enable the state to interpret spatial data, design geographically targeted solutions and place projects where they can maximise development impact.

The Roadshow also seeks to deepen understanding of how GIMS can support existing national planning and coordination instruments.
The following conceptual integrations were presented for further discussion and refinement:
The Medium-Term Development Plan can be integrated into GIMS by aligning spatial data with planned development priorities, enabling monitoring of progress against strategic objectives over a three- to five-year horizon.
The National Development Plan can be embedded into GIMS by mapping long-term policy goals to geographic datasets, ensuring that national development strategies are spatially visualised and tracked across regions.
The District Development Model and Presidential Coordinating Council can leverage geospatial dashboards to coordinate service delivery at district level, while providing enhanced oversight and accountability for national leadership.

Participants were invited to interrogate and test these assumptions and to provide “Umkhomba Ndlela” – a clear way forward – for strengthening the integration of GIMS into South Africa’s planning and coordination architecture.

Deputy Minister Mohai emphasised that “this system is not something very difficult, although experts explain it in a very technical language,” insisting that “the state must have technical ability.”

Government must know “both in numbers and where these things must be located” so that projects and programmes are deliberately placed where they will address identified problems and needs.

He stated that “where you locate it is not something that is neutral because we locate it where it must make an impact to the community, to the people and to the rest of the country.”

By embedding geospatial intelligence into planning and reporting, GIMS supports improved accountability, more accurate monitoring and more responsive adjustments to implementation.
A people-centred geospatial system
While GIMS is a technical and systems-driven initiative, the Deputy Minister stressed that it is ultimately “about the people.”

He pointed out that “every space in South Africa where either there’s unemployment, there’s poverty, there’s underdevelopment, there are people staying in those spaces,” and that their realities must guide decisions on where projects and services are located.

The use of credible data, precise evidence and geospatial tools enhances government’s ability to understand not only what it is doing, but “where it must make an impact to the community, to the people and to the rest of the country.”

This approach is central to building a capable, responsive, ethical and developmental state that leaves no one behind.

In conclusion, Deputy Minister Mohai called on all stakeholders present – including representatives from national and provincial departments, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, academia, business, civil society and learners – to actively contribute to the implementation of GIMS.

He encouraged open, robust engagement to share best practices, identify challenges and opportunities, and co-create solutions that will advance spatially just and inclusive development.

He reiterated government’s resolve to build a spatially intelligent state that uses geospatial information management to improve planning, strengthen coordination, enhance accountability and deliver better outcomes for all who live in South Africa.

Enquiries:
Ms Xoliswa Salman
Communications Specialist: Office of the Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
Email: Xoliswa.Salman@dpme.gov.za Mobile: 066 305 7718