Using catchment area analysis and GIS based spatial analysis for prioritising spatial investment in non-metro South Africa

Abstract

In the search for greater equity, spatial justice and efficiency of service delivery, the concepts of central place, agglomeration, and accessibility, together with GIS principles of catchment analysis, were applied to develop service catchments for social facility provision. A geo-spatially targeted hierarchy of places was also identified to prioritise investment of regional middle-order facilities in "Service Malls" located in the most optimal towns to best serve non-metropolitan areas in South Africa. This paper outlines the background, principles and process applied. Delivery of social services in rural South Africa remains a major challenge twenty years after the demise of apartheid. Challenges include the poor planning and allocation of facilities; processes which are vulnerable to politically based decision-making.