Remarks by Minister Ramokgopa at the launch of the Geospatial Information Management Strategy (GIMS)
Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation – Pretoria, September 2025
Programme Director,
Acting Director-General in the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), Advocate Melanchton Makobe,
Directors-General and Senior representatives from National Departments,
Leaders from across government, academia, civil society, and the private sector,
Distinguished guests, Members of the media, Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning!
It is an honour and great privilege to stand before you today on this important occasion, the official launch of South Africa’s Geospatial Information Management Strategy (GIMS).
Today, we are not simply unveiling another government document. We are taking a decisive step towards building a spatially intelligent state, which puts people, communities, and places at the very centre of development. This launch signals our collective resolve to transform the way we plan, the way we govern, and the way we deliver services to the people of South Africa.
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the heart of South Africa’s democracy is a simple yet profound commitment: to improve the quality of life of every South African, leaving no one behind. To achieve this, we need more than political will or broad aspirations. We need credible data, precise evidence, and the ability to understand not only what we are doing, but also where and for whom we are doing it.
This is the promise of the Geospatial Information Management Strategy. It provides us with a framework and a practical tool to transform how government plans, monitors, and evaluates its work. For too long, development has often been planned in abstract terms, in reports, in spreadsheets, in policy frameworks that are not always connected to the real and lived experiences of our people. What GIMS offers is the opportunity to anchor all of this in space, in actual places and communities, so that we know exactly where development is taking place, where gaps remain, and where resources are most urgently needed.
By embracing geospatial intelligence, we are furthering the advancement of evidence-based decision-making in government, where decisions are made with clarity, precision, and full awareness of their spatial impact.
Distinguished guests,
The Geospatial Information Management Strategy does not stand alone, nor is it in isolation. It is woven into the fabric of our national development architecture. It speaks directly to the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030, which remains our long-term vision for eliminating poverty and reducing inequality. It strengthens the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024–2029, which sets the priorities of the current administration. It underpins the National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF), which provides the spatial logic for how development should unfold across our country. It also enhances the District Development Model (DDM), which seeks to foster a whole-of-government approach by aligning the efforts of national, provincial, and local government in a coherent and place-based manner.
Through GIMS, these frameworks are no longer fragmented or operating in silos. Instead, they are brought together into a single system and common platform where plans, budgets, and performance outcomes can be integrated, analysed, and visualised. This creates a unified picture of our development trajectory, one that can be tracked and measured in a transparent way across all spheres of government.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The value of this Strategy lies not only in its technical sophistication, but in its power to transform governance. With GIMS, planning will become more evidence-based. Departments will be able to see, at the click of a button, where infrastructure gaps exist, where poverty is most concentrated, and where interventions will have the greatest impact. This will allow government to target resources more effectively, ensuring that investments respond to real needs on the ground.
Equally important is the way in which GIMS strengthens monitoring and accountability. Too often, progress has been measured in aggregate figures that mask local realities. GIMS makes it possible to track change in real time, at the level of districts, municipalities, and communities. This fosters greater transparency and ensures that citizens can hold government accountable not only for promises made, but for results delivered.
The Strategy also positions South Africa to embrace the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. By integrating big data, satellite imagery, and advanced geospatial technologies, we are moving towards a state that can act with foresight, speed, and accuracy. This is not about maps for their own sake, it is about making visible the story of our development, and ensuring that decisions are informed by the real conditions of the people and places they affect.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The success of GIMS cannot be secured by government alone. It requires strong partnerships across sectors. We need the expertise of our scientists and data specialists, the innovation of our universities and research institutions, the creativity of the private sector, and the support of development partners. We need active citizenry to ensure we all work together to realise a nation that works for all.
Today, I call on all stakeholders to embrace GIMS as a shared national resource, one that belongs to all South Africans. It is a tool for planners and policy-makers, but it is equally a tool for researchers, for entrepreneurs, and for communities. When all of us contribute data, insights, and innovation, the Strategy becomes more powerful, more accurate, and more effective.
The launch of this Strategy is not the end of a process, it is the beginning of a journey. From today, every department, every municipality, and every province have a responsibility to incorporate geospatial intelligence into their work. I urge officials across government to integrate your data into the system, to use it in shaping policies, and to ensure that all government plans reflect the spatial realities of our nation.
When we plan with precision, we govern with impact. When we govern with impact, we restore trust.
In conclusion,
It is with great pride, and with the full recognition of the transformation it will bring to our governance, that I hereby declare the Geospatial Information Management Strategy officially launched.
May it serve as the backbone of our efforts to build a state that is spatially enabled, people-centred, and equipped to deliver a better life for all South Africans.
I thank you.
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