Johannesburg Property database online 

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ALUABLE Johannesburg property and economic information is available online to the public, in two map-based databases. Much of the information is available free of charge; the rest requires a subscription.

The databases were set up by the City of Johannesburg's Economic Development Unit and the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA). The Economic Nodes database deals with business property in 25 business nodes; the Inner City database deals with residential property in the inner city.

• THE BUSINESS NODES DATABASE will interest the property sector as it provides an economic evaluation of 25 business nodes to assess their economic potential. It also contains a brief overview of each node, including its history, node description and catchment area.
THE INNER CITY DATABASE provides an estimate of property values across the inner city, from the most expensive skyscrapers to more humble dwellings. The database will be continuously extended to cover more parts of the city as information becomes available.

How to access the two databases
To access the databases, go to http://eservices.joburg.org.za/joburg/eservices, click on 'Online Maps (GIS)', select the 'Free Access' box, then click on the city map.

Services available for free
Interactive maps that zoom in from a regional overview to street level.

Added services for subscribers

• Full resolution aerial photography
• Full zoning (available from end of July 2005)
• Proposed townships
• Customised mapmaking tools

How to subscribe

Selecting the database you wish to use

Business node database
Select 'Economic Nodes' as the active layer. Select the business node you wish to view via the adjacent list box.

In the right pane of the browser window, summary data for the selected node is displayed. Below the displayed data are a few additional items.

• 'Zoom to' - The viewer will zoom to the selected feature or node.
• 'Pan to' - Moves to the selected feature at the current scale. Don't use this button on full view; it maintains the current scale.
• 'Report' - opens a new browser window with a comprehensive report on the node.

Data from multiple business nodes can be compared. Click the button labelled 'Comparison' located near the top centre of the screen. A new window will open. Select the nodes and data to compare.

The Inner City database
The purpose of the inner city database is to provide property information on an erf level. Data includes the Inner City, Newtown and Braamfontein.

Select 'Inner City' as the active layer. Users can search on Owner, Building or Street name; for example, select all buildings owned by ABSA. Select the specific record by clicking on the blue 'select' hyperlink. Clicking on the erf brings up the information for the erf in the right pane. 'Owner', 'Planning', and 'Building' information is available from the expandable selections in the right pane. The other options in the right pane provide additional functionality/ information.

• 'Zoom to' - will zoom to the selected erf and change the scale of the map
• 'Pan to' - Will centre the erf in the browser window while maintaining the current scale
• 'Show Photo' - Will open a picture of the building, should one be available
• 'Report' - Will open a detailed report with all the information available for the erf

A list of all vacant erven can be obtained by clicking the 'Vacant' button in the menu at the top of the browser window.

The map can be rendered differently using the 'Render by' list box at the top of the browser window. Make sure you have zoomed into the Inner City area and that the Inner City layer is switched on. To make sure the Inner City layer is switched on, click on the layers tab on the bottom right of the viewer and check if there is a tick next to the Inner City layer under the Inner City layers group. Examples of different methods of rendering are 'Municipal land value' and 'Building condition'. The legend link for map rendering can be accessed near the bottom of the right pane.

An 'Inner city Special Areas' layer works in conjunction with the 'Inner City' layer. You may activate this layer and select the area you are interested in, then select the 'Inner City' layer to continue as before.

The subscription service costs R100 per month (R1000 per annum) for individuals, or R500 per month (R5000 per annum) for companies. Payment can be made via Internet banking or a deposit slip can be faxed/e-mailed to Corporate GIS.

Banking details:
ABSA BANK: SANDTON CORPORATE BRANCH
BRANCH CODE: 637956
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 4054398227

Cheques are to be made payable to City of Johannesburg

Corporate GIS:
Fax: (011) 339 3677
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Should you require assistance in using the mapping software, please phone the city's Corporate GIS department on 407 6190 and request the help desk or email your queries to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Queries related to the actual data can be e-mailed to Li Pernegger on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .