Ethekwini: Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Seiso Mohai, will on Wednesday lead the Geospatial Information Management Strategy (GIMS) Roadshow at the Chief Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in eThekwini. The initiative, organized by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation under the Chief Directorate Spatial Planning, promises to be a significant step in advancing spatial governance and data management.

According to South African Government News Agency, the roadshow is being held in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government and the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. The GIMS, launched nationally on 19 September 2025 by the Minister in the Presidency, provides a policy framework for enhancing spatial governance and coordinated data management. The event in KwaZulu-Natal marks the first provincial roadshow, setting a precedent for future rollouts.

Organisers indicate that the strategy is designed to facilitate evidence-based planning, ensure data interoperability, and enable spatial monitoring of development outcomes. The Provincial GIMS Roadshows are part of the efforts to transition the strategy from policy development to practical implementation.

The roadshow seeks to institutionalise and operationalise the strategy across all levels of government, enhance awareness and technical capability among provincial and municipal stakeholders, bolster geospatial data governance and interoperability, and foster the integration of geospatial data into national monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

The programme will feature strategic remarks, provincial and municipal case studies, a live demonstration of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation's Geospatial Enabled Dashboard and Geospatial Tools, and an interactive question-and-answer session. The event is set to attract stakeholders including executive leadership from national government, the Office of the Premier in KwaZulu-Natal, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, representatives from provincial departments, technical experts from national and provincial government departments, business and private sector representatives, and academic institutions such as the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Durban University of Technology.