NATIONAL SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

The Draft National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF) 2019 is a long-term strategic planning instrument for South Africa, mandated by the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) and aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP). It aims to dismantle the spatial legacies of colonialism and apartheid by transitioning the country toward an integrated, inclusive, and sustainable national space economy by 2050.

• The NSDF identifies a critical need to shift from a colonial and apartheid spatial development logic to a post-apartheid logic that prioritizes the interests of the majority over a few, ensures equitable land access, and limits the creation of luxury enclaves.
• South Africa's population is projected to grow from approximately 58 million in 2018 to around 75 million by 2050, with a significant trend toward urbanisation; it is estimated that nearly 80% of the population will live in urban areas by 2050.
• The framework proposes a 'Social Service Wheel' or provisioning model to ensure equitable delivery of social infrastructure, placing higher-order services (like regional hospitals and universities) in national urban cores and regional development anchors, while providing basic services in smaller villages.
• Climate change is expected to cause temperatures to increase by 1 to 4 degrees Celsius by 2050, primarily in western and north-western regions, while rainfall is projected to decrease in the south-western, western, and north-western parts of the country.
• The NSDF identifies five National Spatial Action Areas (NSAAs) for urgent intervention: National Transformation Corridors, the Central Innovation Belt, National Resource Risk Areas, National Urban Regions, and the Arid-Innovation Region.
• The framework emphasizes a transition away from a resource-extraction based economy, noting that the move away from diesel cars may lead to a shrinkage in the Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) industry.
• To achieve spatial transformation, the NSDF proposes six levers: using urban areas as engines of transformation, establishing national spatial development corridors, developing productive rural regions, implementing a social service provisioning model, creating a national ecological infrastructure system, and developing a national transport, communications, and energy network.
• The framework identifies 'National Resource Risk Areas' where competition between mining, agriculture, and human settlement threatens water security, specifically mentioning the Upper Vaal, Olifants, Waterberg, uMngeni, and Berg & Breede river catchments.
• The NSDF outlines a three-cycle implementation timeline: Initiation (2019-2023) focusing on alignment and awareness; Alignment, Budgeting and Execution (2024-2043) focusing on institutionalisation and execution; and Renew and Re-do (2044-2049) for full evaluation.
• The document warns that failure to act on the NSAAs could lead to 'running out of water', massive losses of biodiversity, and social unrest, including an increase in xenophobic attacks and violence.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2019). NATIONAL SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Draft-National-Spatial-Development-Framework-2020.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. NATIONAL SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK. 2019. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Draft-National-Spatial-Development-Framework-2020.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=NATIONAL SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK |date=April 2019 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Draft-National-Spatial-Development-Framework-2020.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2019national, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{NATIONAL SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Draft-National-Spatial-Development-Framework-2020.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }