1. NAME OF NATION: SOUTH AFRICA
  1. Name of Respondent Supplying Information: Derek G Clarke
    Title (if any): Chief Director of Surveys and Mapping

    Mailing Address: Private Bag X10, Mowbray, 7705 South Africa
    E-mail Address: dclarke@sli.wcape.gov.za  
    Telephone Number: +27-21-6899362
    Fax Number: +27-21-6891351

  2. Does your nation have an active or proposed initiative for developing a national spatial data infrastructure (or its equivalent)?

    3. Yes

    **** POLICY ISSUES ****

  3. LEADERSHIP: Which agency or organization is coordinating or leading national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI) development efforts in your nation? (If no single agency is coordinating, please provide a primary point of contact from whom we may learn more.)

    4. Agency/Organization Name: Directorate: Natial Spatial Information Framework, Dept of Land Affairs
    Mailing Address: Private Bag X954 , Pretoria, 0001 South Africa
    E-mail Address: nsif@csg.pwv.gov.za  
    Telephone Number: +27-12-3225400
    Fax Number: +27-12-3225418
    Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Dr Liz Gavin

  4. AVAILABILITY: What are the primary types, categories or forms of spatial digital data being made available through your nation's NSDI?

    5. Cadastral parcels and land ownership
    Topographic Communications 
    Urban areas  
    Administrative and political boundaries  
    Rivers and main dams 
    plus more to come

  5. MECHANICS OF ACCESS: Through what technical and organizational mechanisms are spatial data being made available through the NSDI?

    6. Adopting FGDC metadata standards
    Web site, Internet
    Suppliers of data supply directly

  6. LEGAL AND ECONOMIC FRAMEWORKS FOR ACCESS: What are the legal and economic constraints under which citizens, businesses or others may gain access to data available through the NSDI?

    7. Copyright and public access - not consistent across agencies
    Nominal charges for data

  7. DATA COLLECTION COORDINATION: What parties are involved in collecting data for the NSDI and how is data collection coordinated?

    8. Collection not coordinated across agencies
    Core data suppliers

  8. PRICING: If charges are assessed for spatial data made available through the NSDI, what is the basis or method for determining the price of various forms of spatial data?

    9. Based on cost of supply, except census data which is more

  9. COMMERCIAL INVOLVEMENT: Please describe how private commercial firms are involved in helping to build the NSDI.

    10. Private sector participating in NSIF working groups
    Ad hoc collection of data by private sector for own use

  10. PUBLIC DOMAIN DATA SETS: Please describe those digital spatial data sets for jurisdictions within your nation that are available to anyone without any licensing or intellectual property restrictions imposed on the data sets and the data sets are available at no cost or little cost. How may copies be acquired of these public domain data sets?

    11. None

  11. PUBLIC GOODS ASPECTS OF NSDI: Please describe any additional services or goods provided by government in support of the NSDI for which individual users are not charged.

    12. NSIF metadatabase only

  12. PRIVACY: Please describe how the information privacy of individual citizens is protected relative to data that may be accessed through the NSDI.

    13. Census data in terms of legislation

    **** OPERATIONAL ISSUES ****

  13. AUTHORITY: Do the laws or formal orders of any legislative or executive branches of government explicitly recognize the need to establish or further develop the NSDI?

    14. Not at this stage - concept in process

  14. FUNDING: Have funds been specifically budgeted and acquired for NSDI activities?

    15. Yes

    If YES, please describe the purpose of the funds and the amounts.

    ZAR4.5 million, excludes data capture by core data agencies

  15. INCLUSIVENESS: Please describe the types and extent of participants involved in building the NSDI and their roles.

    16. All interested parties. Management Committee only government Representatives

  16. COMPONENTS: Please indicate whether the vision of an NSDI for your nation incorporates the following components or concepts.

    17. A. METADATA   Yes
    B. CLEARINGHOUSE Yes, still in development
    C. DATA STANDARDS Yes  
    D. CORE DATA Yes

  17. RESEARCH: Have funds been specifically budgeted and spent on research projects to advance NSDI concepts?

    18. Limited. Developing standards

  18. LINKAGE TO GENERAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS - Which international or national information and communication technology standards has the NSDI adopted?

    19. FGDC metadata
    ISO TC211
    Standard communications protocols

  19. GLOBAL SPATIAL DATASETS: Does your NSDI provide access to spatial datasets with global coverage?

    20. No

  20. GLOBAL OR REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES: Is your NSDI formally affiliated with or connected to any global or regional spatial data infrastructure initiatives?

    21. Yes

    If YES, which initiative(s)?

    Attempts are being made to involve Southern African Development Community
    GSDI

  21. LONG TERM VISION OR STRATEGIC PLAN: Has a long term vision statement or stategic plan been developed for your country's NSDI?

    22. In preparation

  22. GRAND CHALLEGES: Name one of the most pressing challenges for NSDI development in your nation.

    23. Institutional cooperation
    Core data sets complying with standards

  23. FURTHER INFORMATION: If an NSDI WEB SITE exists where information about NSDI efforts in your nation may be found in the future, please provide the web site address.

    24. //168.172.3.203/

    Data needs assessment in progress

    If brochures are other written materials exist describing NSDI efforts in your nation, please provide an address for requesting copies of these materials.

    If a user requirements analysis or cost-benefits analysis was undertaken to estimate the benefits of building a spatial data infrastructure for your country, please provide an address for requesting a copy.