The Chief Directorate of Surveys and Mapping is the government agency responsible for aerial photography and has an archive of aerial photographs dating back to the 1930's. The photography is at a variety of scales and has provided complete coverage of the country since the 1950's. These are all vertical aerial phtographs taken from aircraft. Photography is continuously reflown to provide new photography for ongoing map revision and for sale to users.

Unlike a generalised line map, almost all detail is visible on an aerial photograph. The user, although unable to make accurate measurements on the photograph, is able to perform his or her own interpretation of what exists on the ground. Aerial photographs are also an historic record of what existed at the time the photograph was taken.

Modern aerial photographs are a standard contact size of 23 x 23cm. Enlargements of up to three times a photograph area are available. Overlapping stereopairs may be purchased for stereo viewing, providing the user with a 3-dimensional image. Colour photography is also available in selected areas.

The 1:10 000 orthophoto maps combine all the advantages of conventional line maps and aerial photography. The photographic background has been rectified to remove image displacements and enlarged to a scale of 1:10 000.. Unlike a conventional aerial photograph, accurate measurements can be made on the orthophoto map. Cartographic elements that cannot be derived from the photographic background have been added, namely: a co-ordinate grid, contours and spot heights, place names and route numbers. These maps are well suited for detail planning and analysis of what exists on the ground.

The orthophoto maps cover all metropolitan and peri-urban areas and growth areas. At present, about 25% of the country is covered by these sheets. These sheets are available as ammonia-developed prints on either paper or opaque film or as bromide prints on photographic paper.

The 1:50 000 topographical maps are the largest scale maps providing full coverage of South Africa. The series consists of a total of 1916 sheets. They accurately depict the location of natural and man-made features by means of symbols and colour, and elevation by means of spot heights and contours (20 m interval). Additional information added are place names, boundaries, magnetic data, etc. These maps contain essential information for planning and decision making but also have many other uses.

The 1:50 000 topographical maps are generally compiled from aerial photographs. A standard 1:50 000 map sheet covers a rectangle of 15 minutes of latitude by 15 minutes of longitude or approximately 640 square kilometres

The 1:250 000 topo-cadastral maps show topographical detail with the addition of names, numbers and boundaries of original farms, the boundaries of magisterial districts, and provincial and international boundaries. Elevation, depicted by means of contours at 50m intervals, is further enhanced by hypsometric tints, i.e. shades of brown becoming progressively darker as elevation increases. This series is a firm favourite for regional planning and administrative purposes.

These sheets are generally derived from the larger scale 1:50 000 topographical maps with some detail of necessity being generalised, i.e. thinned out to show only the more important features. 70 maps of this series cover South Africa with each sheet generally covering an area of one degree of latitude and two degrees of longitude.

The series of provincial maps provides a map of each province, on its own in a single sheet. The maps are designed mainly for administrative purposes and depict the cities, towns, smaller urban centres, district/regional councils, rural councils (rural local government) and magisterial districts, as well as the main road and rail networks, main rivers and dams, nature reserves and airports. Topography is depicted by hill shading.

With the whole province shown on one sheet, the scale of the map of each province varies depending on the size of the province.

A new style wall map depicting South Africa at the scale of 1:2 000 000, has been released to coinciside with the Chief Directorate's 80th Anniversary Celebration.  Amongst a host of cartographic improvements the following deserve special mention:

Generalisation has been carefully optimised to improve legibility

A range of five layer tints indicates elevation but no contours are shown.

International and Provincial boundaries and names are boldly displayed.

The hitherto invisible dormitory settlements attached to towns are displayed.

For more information on any other Maps and Aerial Photography please click here.