Mpumalanga Spatial Development Framework

The Mpumalanga Spatial Development Framework (PSDF) is a strategic report designed to guide the province's spatial transformation, aiming to reverse apartheid-era spatial imbalances and promote sustainable, inclusive economic growth. It proposes a polycentric growth management model based on a hierarchy of growth centres and corridors to integrate urban and rural areas.

• The province has adopted a Polycentric Growth Management Model, which structures development around a hierarchy of growth centres consisting of integrated business, employment, and community nodes connected by movement infrastructure.
• Five key urban centres—Mbombela, Secunda, Emalahleni, Ermelo, and Middleburg—are identified as the province's regional economic engines, generating nearly 70% of Mpumalanga's Gross Value Added (GVA).
• The framework identifies a critical need to diversify the economy away from mining, which currently contributes 25% to the provincial GVA, as the sector is depleting and sensitive to global recessions.
• The N4 (Maputo Corridor) is a primary strategic priority for facilitating regional and provincial connectivity, linking the City of Tshwane and Maputo harbour, and providing access to eight local municipalities.
• The Highveld region is identified as a major environmental concern due to poor air quality, accounting for approximately 90% of South Africa's scheduled emissions of industrial dust, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.
• To address water scarcity and reliability, the framework prioritizes the Ehlanzeni district for mitigating water and sanitation backlogs, particularly in densely populated areas connected to the N4 and R40.
• The framework proposes the creation of 'Special Control Mining Areas' to regulate mining activities and protect high-potential agricultural land and biodiversity hotspots from irreversible degradation.
• A 'Service Wheel' concept is introduced to guide the distribution of social services, ensuring that the type and scale of health, education, and government services provided are proportional to the town's typology and its service reach.
• The report estimates that under a medium growth scenario for 2020-2030, approximately 232 sq. km of additional urban land will be required, with 38% dedicated to residential purposes and 21% to road networks.
• Rural transformation is to be achieved through the 'Rural Node' concept, which involves clustering rural settlements around economic or social nuclei (such as Thusong centres) to create compact, self-sustaining Rural Economic Zones (REZ).

APA

Mpe, M., & Friedrich, M. (2019). Mpumalanga Spatial Development Framework. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Phase3.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Mpe, Mamonare, and Maartin Friedrich. Mpumalanga Spatial Development Framework. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2019. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Phase3.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mpe |first1=Mamonare |last2=Friedrich |first2=Maartin |title=Mpumalanga Spatial Development Framework |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=January 2019 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Phase3.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mpe2019mpumalanga, author = {Mpe, Mamonare and Friedrich, Maartin}, title = {{Mpumalanga Spatial Development Framework}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2019}, month = jan, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Phase3.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }