INTRODUCTION

Understanding the zoning classification of a property is essential when purchasing or marketing a property, as this information outlines what is permitted and what restrictions apply.

The process of obtaining this information is as follows:

STEP 1: ACCESS THE MUNICIPAL WEBSITE

Most municipalities have an online portal where the zoning information is publicly available. Search for the official website of the municipality where the property is located and access the home page.

The COJ website can be accessed at www.eservices.joburg.org.za.

The City of Ekurhuleni website can be accessed at www.ekurhuleni.gov.za.

STEP 2: NAVIGATE TO THE ONLINE MAPS/GIS PAGE

The name of the section may vary depending on the website/municipality; however, you want to navigate to the section which is often labelled as “online maps”, “GIS and maps” or “property information”.
On the COJ website, this is labelled as “ONLINE MAPS”, and on the City of Ekurhuleni website, it will be labelled as “MAPS & GIS” under the “MY CITY” menu.

STEP 3: ACCESS THE MAP

On this page, you ultimately want to access the online map that will show you the property information you are looking for. The layout will differ, depending on which municipality website you use.

For the COJ website, you would need to select a theme on the left hand side, which in this instance, would be “zoning”. Thereafter, select the “Map Viewer” option on the right hand side of the page.

For the City of Ekurhuleni website, the process is a little more complicated. There are three options available when scrolling down slightly, namely “App”, “Data” and “Maps”, select the “Data” option. Thereafter, you should select the “Property_Data_Map” option, and then select the “Open in Map Viewer” option on the top right hand side of the screen.

STEP 4: NAVIGATE THE MAP

Select the option to search for the property you want to find the information on.

On the COJ website, select “Search” which is situated on the left hand side of the screen, and then select the layer you wish to search by (example: stand number). Thereafter, the property should show, and the zoning information will be visible.

On the City of Ekurhuleni website, select search, which is a magnifying glass symbol on the bottom right-hand side of the screen, and search for the property you wish to find. Thereafter to find the property, zoom into the property and the zoning information should be shown on top of the property.

STEP 5: IDENTIFY THE ZONING CODE

The zoning code shown (example: Residential 1, Business 4, or Agricultural) corresponds to specific land use regulations, which can be found on the very same municipality’s website.

These are usually labelled as “Town Planning Scheme” or “Zoning Scheme By-laws”, and they will explain what each zoning code means and what restrictions or activities are permitted under each zone.

CONCLUSION

This article aims to better assist the public in finding and understanding zoning information and classifications. Always confirm the information found with the relevant municipality.