Online Portal Enables Record Number of Building Plans Processed
The George Municipality is proud to acknowledge the success of its digitisation initiatives, particularly in the processing of building plan applications. These digital platforms were developed and funded as part of a Provincial initiative to promote Ease of Doing Business. Since the full implementation of the online portal in 2020, the Municipality has had a significant improvement in the number of building plans processed, reflecting both the city’s growth and the effectiveness of the systems in place.
Over the past four financial years, the Municipality has processed a record number of building plans:
• 2020/2021: 1,440 plans were processed, covering 213,842m², with an estimated value of R1.64 billion.
• 2021/2022: 2,244 plans were processed, covering 306,182m², with an estimated value of R2.35 billion.
• 2022/2023: 3,967 plans were processed, covering 859,713m², with an estimated value of R6.39 billion.
• 2023/2024: 4,093 plans were processed, covering 735,420m², with an estimated value of R5.59 billion.
These impressive figures underscore the Municipality’s commitment to efficiency and service excellence. The continuous enhancement of the building control module has enabled faster processing times while meeting service level standards and legislative requirements. The Building Control division has eradicated all backlogs and have maintained this status of no backlogs for the past three years.
The integration of on-premises modules for inspections and certificates of occupancy has further streamlined the process, ensuring compliance and effective monitoring of building projects. Notably, 97.93% of certificates of occupancy were processed within the legislative timeframe during the 2023/2024 financial year.
The digitisation initiatives have delivered substantial benefits, including enhanced transparency and accountability through real-time updates, a significant reduction in paperwork and physical visits that saves time for both applicants and staff, and advanced data analytics capabilities that enable improved performance monitoring and data-driven decision-making.
MMC for Planning and Development, Marlene Barnardt said “These achievements are a testament to George Municipality’s dedication to innovation and excellence in service delivery. By embracing digital transformation, we are positioning George as a leader in efficient governance, ensuring we meet the growing needs of our rapidly developing city.”
The Municipality remains committed to refining its systems, enhancing service delivery, and driving economic growth in George.
For more information on building plan applications or the digitisation initiatives, please contact the George Municipality Planning and Development Department 044 801 9370/9166/9019