Accelerating the development of sustainable human settlements through land assembly,
building and property acquisitions, and project management and support services
National Human Settlements
Land Indices
AN OVERVIEW
Why NaHSLI?
Historically, the management of South African human settlements has
been driven by the ideology of ‘separate development’ rather than by
a concern to create a healthy, viable urban environment. This legacy
has produced a complex set of spatial and physical problems created
by the previous apartheid planning system resulting in inefficient city
functioning in a context of high rates of unemployment, increasing
rates of urbanisation, backlogs in the provision of basic services and a
wide range of social problems.
Since 1994 much progress has been made in reversing the tide of
poverty and homelessness left in the wake of apartheid. Underpinned
by the new constitution, the White Paper of 1994, the Housing Act,
the Housing Code and the Comprehensive Plan for the Development
of Sustainable Human Settlements/ Breaking New Ground strategy
of 2004, a new direction has been set towards a landscape where
all citizens can enjoy a certain quality of life, access to services and a
secure roof over their heads.
Yet there remains a long journey ahead, with a national backlog of
over 2 million housing units and compelling evidence that structural
poverty, a key apartheid legacy, is deepening. A thorough analysis of
the housing development value-chain and the investigation of major
bottlenecks in the development of sustainable human settlements
revealed that the acquisition of land is a major obstacle.
The acquisition of well-located or habitable state owned land for
human settlements has proved to be complex, inefficient and
debilitating for the intended social objectives. Problems of alignment
between the three spheres of government in terms of divergent
legal frameworks, different operational imperatives, ownership and
asset management fragmentations as well as complex division of
powers and functions, result in the chronic failure to acquire welllocated or habitable state owned land to develop sustainable human
settlements. Houses are built on land without consideration of
land habitability and the poor still end up on the periphery far from
transport, amenities, work opportunities, etc. These challenges are
further compounded by the fact that no one knows who owns the
land or who has rights to it AND no-one knows where the land is.
Spatial distribution of state land in South Africa.
Type of Land
Hectares
SA land and water cover
State Land
121.9 million
15.7 million
With the strong emphasis now on transforming spatial arrangements
and spatial governance, a renewed effort is needed to ensure that
national, provincial and local government work together in reshaping the
built environment to achieve a smarter and fairer development of human
settlements. Accordingly, the Housing Development Agency (HDA)
was established as a special purpose vehicle to assist in the expediting
of housing development and delivery in South Africa through land
identification, acquisition and preparation for human settlements.
The HDA’s mandate is provided by the Housing Development
Agency, Act 23 of 2008, which in Section 7 states that the
HDA must:
(1)(b) develop strategic plans with regard to the identification and
acquisition of state, privately and communal owned land which
is suitable for residential and community development;
(1)(d) monitor progress of the development of land and landed
property acquired for the purposes of creating sustainable human
settlements; and
(2) (a) ensure that residential and community developments are
sustainable, viable and appropriately located.
What is NaHSLI?
In view of the nature of the land identification and acquisition function
of the HDA, it is necessary to apply pre-determined criteria as an HDA
strategic filter to guide and inform land identification and acquisition.
Accordingly, the HDA is developing the National Human Settlements
Land Indices (NaHSLI) which is an executive analytical tool to facilitate and
guide the formulation of planning alternatives that optimise utilisation
• The Regulatory Environment, for e.g. land tenure, land use, land
value, etc.
• The Structural Environment, for e.g. transport network, location of
services and utilities, etc.
• The Social Environment, for e.g. population, employment,
migration, health, etc.
of scarce resources and reduce the negative impact of land and property
development on the environment. NaHSLI seeks to provide an innovative
The principles of the natural environment, regulatory environment,
way of addressing the multifaceted challenges of sustainable human
structural environment and social environment within NaHSLI
settlements and make better informed decisions on the identification and
will assist in refocusing attention to spatial planning as a tool for
acquisition of state-owned, communal and private land.
the creation of sustainable human settlements and underline the
importance of spatial data and information in the effectiveness of this
NaHSLI is guided by Four Principles
process. Ultimately, the intention is for NaHSLI to assert the harmony
• The Natural Environment, for e.g. geotechnical conditions,
with the natural environment and balance economic and social
forestry, biodiversity, climate change, etc.
development with the needs of South Africans.
The overall aim of NaHSLI is to provide a scale overview of
Figure 4: Objectives of NaHSLI
the contextual factors that impact the creation of sustainable
human settlements by answering the following questions:
• Where is suitable land?
• Where is available land?
• Where is accessible land?
• Where is livelihood land?
• Where is well-located or habitable land?
The strategic vision for NaHSLI is for it to be used by all units of
government and the general public to provide the textual and visual
spatial information, as well as the results of spatial analysis, to aid
discussions and deliberations in the planning process. The tool is
a key asset that serves the people of South Africa by assisting in
spatial planning and the making of plans that are in harmony with
development, the environment and society, thereby ensuring the
The development of NaHSLI was made possible through the dedication,
efficient and effective creation of sustainable human settlements.
commitment and the forging of relationships with key stakeholders such
as the Council for Geoscience (CGS), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries
The objectives of the NaHSLI are to:
and Forestry (DAFF), ESKOM, Department of Rural Development and
• Identify habitable land and non-habitable land
Land Reform (DRDLR) and City of Johannesburg. NaHSLI geospatial data
• Identify the risk-prone areas
infrastructure was designed and developed based on the spatial data
• Inform on where could human settlements be best located
infrastructure act (Act no 54 of 2003), the spatial data standards (STANSA)
• Inform on the development potential of the habitable land
and the compilation of Metadata. This provides for NaHSLI to be a robust
and credible tool whilst ensuring data reliability, currency and accuracy.
How we use NaHSLI?
NaHSLI’s conceptual framework has been developed to understand and analyse the potential of different localities to support sustainable
development. The framework consists of the four principles, namely Natural Environment, Regulatory Environment, Structural Environment and
Social Environment. These are interrelated and co-dependent and build on the aim of supporting sustainable settlements through identifying
Suitable, Available, Accessible and Livelihood land.
Conceptual Framework of the National Human Settlements Land Indices (NaHSLI)
Ecological Infrastructure and
Biodiversity Assets Index
Land Use Index
Land Functunality Index
Land Sustenance Index
Land Viability Index
Land Network Index
Social Environment
Land Capability
Index
Land Value Index
Structural Environment
Environmental Risk
Index
Land Tenure Index
Regulatory Environment
Natural Environment
Geotechnical
Hazard Index
Climate Change
Adaptation Index
Land Sustainability Index, LSUi=
Geotechnical Hazard Index
+ Environmental Risk Index
+ Land Capacity Index
+ Ecological Infrastructure and
Biodiversity Assets Index
+ Climate Change Adaptation Index
Land Availability Index, LAVi=
Land Tenure Index
+ Land Value Index
+ Land Use Index
Land Accessibility Index, LACi=
Land Functionality Index
+ Land Viability Index
Land Livelihood Index, LLIi=
Land Sustenance Index
+ Land Network Index
Habitable Land Index, HLAi=LSUi+LAVi+LACi+LLIi
Author: [email protected]
NaHSLI encompasses land and property details, ownership and transaction
details, administrative boundaries; topographic data in the form of slope,
geotechnical, transport network and location of services and utilities;
land use data such as residential, commercial, industrial, agriculture etc.;
thematic data such as soil types, forestry, biodiversity, climate and land
forms; and social data such as population, migration and health, etc.
NaHSLI has the added functions of integrating all these datasets and computing
different indices such as the land suitability index (LSUi) land availability index
(LAVi), land accessibility index (LACi) and land livelihood index (LLIi) based on
weighted indicators to determine whether the land is habitable.
Habitable Land Index, HLAi = LSUi + LAVi + LACi + LLIi
Building Blocks
Proof of Concept - Habitable Land Index
Habitable Land Criteria
Principle
Indices
Natural Environment
Indicators
Land Suitability Index
Slope
Landslide
Dolomite
Active, expansive and swelling soils
Excavatability
Collapsible soils
Poorly consolidated soils
Erosion
Dispersive soils
Acid soils
Mining subsidence
Shallow water table
Coastal inundation
Seismic hazard
Rivers with 100m buffer
Wetlands
Estuarine functional zones
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Unprotected mine openings
Existing plantation
Afforestation potential
Natural forest
Protected woodlands/thickets
Existing fields irrigation
Agriculture potential arable
Proximity to energy facilities development
Existing mining rights
Mine dumps
Mineral potential
Ecosystem threat status
Critical biodiversity areas
Ecological support areas
FEPA with 1KM buffer
Other natural areas
Nature reserves
Protected environments
Protected areas expansion
Champion tree with 50m buffer
Natural
Degraded
Water bodies
Habitable Land Criteria (continued)
Principle
Indices
Regulatory Environment
Structural Environment
Social Environment
Indicators
Land Availability Index
Deeds
Cadastral
Selling price
Rates
Spatial planning
Zoning
Claims
Vacant land
Land Accessibility Index
Access to basic services
Access to utilities
Access to transport
Energy substations
Sewage farms/facilities
Storm water facilities
Informal settlements
Housing projects
MIG, BIG, PIG projects
Planned amenities
Means of living
Connectivity
Safety
Epidemic
Health hazards i.e. landfills, toxic waste
Typology of areas
Migration
Land Livelihood Index
Habitable Land = Land Suitability + Land Availability + Land Accessibility + Land Livelihood
Using NaHSLI ensures the following outcomes:
• Information as to the development potential of the land;
• Rapid identification, analyses and prioritisation of land;
• Leveraging of resources and coordination of our interventions at
• Demarcation of risk-prone areas and identification of ecologically
sensitive areas;
different levels; and
• Support of city-led planning and development that contribute to
• Information as to where integrated human settlements are best located;
spatial transformation.
How can NaHSLI help you?
Through utilisation of its cross-sectoral spatial information
technologies platform, NaHSLI can support provinces and
municipalities by serving as a resource for enhanced planning
at three geographic scales, with a specific emphasis on:
• Choice
o To inform habitation suitability choices
o To inform land development (investments)
o To assist in land acquisitions
• Governance
o To support land administration and transactions
o To inform land use planning
o To assist in the management of land assets
o To assist in land-related policy and implementation decisions
• Sustainability
o To support habitable land management and human well-being
o To support natural resources management
NaHSLI, as an executive analytical tool, further provides
answers to the following:
o Who owns the land?
o What is the extent of the land?
o Where is the vacant land? [See Figure ‘Identifying and monitoring
vacant land’]
o What is the value of the land?
o What is the land used for?
o Where are the wetlands, mine dumps and protected areas?
o Does the land have access to basic services such as water, electricity,
refuse removal and sanitation?
o Is the land in close proximity to amenities such as schools, clinics,
shopping centres?
o
o
o
o
o
o
Is the land served by transport networks?
Where are the greatest housing needs?
Where are the job opportunities?
Where are the new developments?
Where are the growth points /nodes?
Where to invest and develop sustainable human settlements?
Identifying and Monitoring vacant land
NaHSLI, being still in its infancy, relies heavily on the availability and
accessibility of spatial datasets. The key to NaHSLI’s success in helping the
people of South Africa get the most of their land investment depends
on the collaboration and cooperation of all spheres of government. So,
let’s make NaHSLI work for us. By collaborating and sharing data and
information we can improve the lives of all of US as South Africans.
Contact the HDA
HEAD OFFICE
Johannesburg
Block A, Riviera Office Park,
6-10 Riviera Road,
Killarney, Johannesburg, 2193
PO Box 3209, Houghton,
South Africa, 2041
Phone: (011) 544 1000
Fax: (011) 544 1006/7
PROJECT OFFICES
Cape Town
129 Bree Street, Cape Town
PO Box 15402, Vlaeberg,
Cape Town, South Africa, 8018
Phone: (021) 481 2900
Fax: (021) 481 2913
Port Elizabeth
5th Floor, Fairview House,
Fairview Office Park,
66 Ring Road, Greenacres,
Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6501
Phone: (041) 393 2600
Fax: (041) 393 2614
REGIONAL OFFICES
Polokwane
Limpopo Provincial Government
Department of Co-operative Governance
Human Settlements & Traditional Affairs,
20 Rabe Street, Polokwane
Private Bag X9485, Polokwane
South Africa, 0700
Phone: +27 15 284 5000
Fax: +27 15 293 1520
Bloemfontein
97 Henry Street, Westdene
Bloemfontein 9300
PO Box 3220, Bloemfontein
South Africa, 9300
Fax: +27 86 248 5640
Cell: +27 72 404 9991
Website: www.thehda.co.za
Feel free to drop us an e-mail at [email protected] to profile your land through NaHSLI.
AN AGENCY OF THE NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS