GIS may be well established in the corporate markets of the developed world but its introduction to Africa has been relatively recent, according to Pieter van Jaarsveld, from the GIS/Mapping Department at Intergraph Systems. Intergraph, which is now part of the black empowerment telecommunications company, Ikwezi Group, has long proven itself to be a leader in the supply and support of geographic information systems throughout the entire southern African region.

"GIS technology was introduced to Africa in the mid-80s and since then the technology has spread rapidly," van Jaarsveld says. "GIS has a role to play in social, economic and financial sectors such as health and education and in line with developments throughout the continent, certain of South Africa's government and public departments have been quick to harness the practical value of GIS systems in running their infrastructures."

* In the Northern Province, the Department of Public Works is using Intergraph's GIS suite, GeoMedia, to maintain government buildings as well as the provincial infrastructure.

* The Northwest Province is using GeoMedia to establish the location of people within its boundaries who lack access to basic services.

* Similarly, information garnered from every state hospital in the Northwest Province relating to admission statistics, births, deaths, caesarean sections and laboratory tests, provides scientific data for the implementation of a provincial health care system.

* The Independent Electoral Commission is analysing data to determine geographical trends garnered from the 1999 elections - in which Intergraph played a major role, both from a systems point of view as well as in the support they provided.

* Data collated from epidemiological studies is being used to study occurrences of illnesses that may reveal a geographic association.

* Information collated from schools about facilities, staff, student enrolments and pass rates are used by education departments in determining long-term strategies.

* The problem of encroaching deserts is an ecological timebomb which will impact throughout Africa and which is being monitored continent-wide.

"The value of using geographic information systems lies in its use in capturing, managing, analysing and communicating geographic data and information", says van Jaarsveld. "It can be used by government and public works departments for all aspects of their planning needs, ranging from town and business planning to education and health facilities, as well as for the management and maintenance of property and natural resources, water and electricity supplies. But at the same time, GIS software fits in smoothly with corporate IT applications," he says. "A spatial perspective is critical to companies whose business is rooted in geographies, such as retailing, real estate, transportation, communication, agriculture or utilities. It enables the detection of market trends through demographic themes. It also enables the identification of key consumer patterns and the general distribution of a customer base. Site selection is optimised through the definition of consumer spending patterns and the relocation of existing stores can be based on changing demographic patterns.

"Perhaps the most useful spatial information is an address", van Jaarsveld says. "This geographic element can carry a wealth of information. When an address is viewed geographically, it reveals spatial relationships that are not immediately evident from simply looking at an address list." At the same time, as Internet retailing becomes increasingly popular and traffic in physical retail locations begins to decrease, GIS is an essential tool in aiding retailers to decide which businesses should be moved or remodelled to take advantage of customer traffic - or to be closed completely.

"The point of GIS is that it turns data into easily understood digital maps," van Jaarsveld says. "Using GIS products, users can turn data into smart maps which, among other features, allow you to click onto a part of the map and get further information about the more localised area you have zoomed in on. GIS systems enable you to get a clear geographic representation of the information that is contained in the database. An additional advantage of most reliable GIS systems is that maps get updated every time information is updated, so that the user is always viewing the most up-to-date situation in his request for information on a tremendous variety of topics - whether for customer services or market penetration, to questions of public access, details of land records or even crime or weather statistics for any given area."

Intergraph Systems Southern Africa

(011) 313 1222

pvjaarsveld@intch.co.za