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INTRODUCTION

Most of the population is concentrated in the eastern half. The most rural province in South Africa is
Limpopo where the majority of people reside in rural towns. Gauteng, with both Johannesburg and
Pretoria within its boundaries, is almost entirely urban. Other areas of high urban concentration are
around Cape Town in the Western Cape, Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, Port Elizabeth and East London in
the Eastern Cape and, in the interior, Bloemfontein in the Free State. The demand for services in these
areas are much higher than in less densely and sparsely populated areas.
Improving geographic access to service points

Service points are offices, mobile service units and other physical points where citizens come into
contact with government to obtain information, communicate with government and to transact services.
The definition of geographic access inculcates the notion of proximity of people to service points. The
principle is that people should be able to access various services that they require within a reasonable
travel distance.

Accessibility studies can determine the current accessibility of services in various parts of the country.
The analysis can also determine whether service points are adequately provided, over-provided or under-
provided and whether they have adequate capacity to meet the population demand for services.

Accessibility modelling can also be done to determine the optimum number and geographic location
of different types and sizes of service points with the intention of providing a more equitable distribution
of facilities, taking into account the access distance standards of a department, population demand
and population capacity parameters for different types and sizes of service points and the availability of
roads. The objective is to achieve an equitable provisioning and spatial distribution of facilities.

The distances between the service points of departments that provide related services can also be
considered in determining access, for instance, Home Affairs offices and service points of the
Departments of Social Development and Employment and Labour. Furthermore, future scenario analysis
can be conducted to consider changes in service delivery demand from a population growth/decline
perspective.

Access to services can also be improved through greater alignment and integration of spatial planning
across the various spheres of government, for instance, through greater integration of developmental
priorities and objectives as envisaged in the District Based Service Delivery Model and the National
Spatial Development Framework of Government.
Service points should have adequate capacity to
meet the population demand and to provide quality
services

In selecting which service points to use, people are often also guided by their perceptions of the quality of
services provided by different service points and the capacity of such service points to provide services.
Departments should therefore not look at geographic access in isolation but also consider the following:

 The range and quality of services provided at service points. Departments should ensure that service
points have adequate capacity to provide quality services.
 The ease and convenience of using services. Departments should particularly aim to ensure that
people with disabilities are able to access services and amenities.
 Accessibility is closely linked to affordability. Even when service infrastructure is in place, services
will remain beyond the reach of many people if they are not able to afford to travel to them and use
them.
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