(UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND FACULTY OF ENGINEERING & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, 2016) Mahlangu, Sabelo
GIS has transformed the nature of business and decision making in various industries by providing insight, opportunities to change business outcomes. In planning GIS has provided opportunities for better decision making for spatial planning as well as other areas of planning. Even though the technology has evolved and grown into the decision making structures of local authorities in the developed world. In South Africa there is still a slower incorporation of GIS as a decision making tool within local government planning. The general performance of municipalities in South Africa has been poor as most municipalities failed to get clean audits. One of the leading results for poor municipal performance has been linked to ‘unfruitful expenditure’, poor management as well as wasteful spending, all which could relate to poor decision making. Most Gauteng municipalities have access to GIS but it is underused and mostly limited to mapping functions. The study investigated the use of GIS within two municipalities in Gauteng, South Africa. The study focuses on the strategic location and use of GIS in informing municipal planning decisions. The aim of the study was to highlight the role GIS can play in informing decision makers of best alternatives for planning projects while enhancing the performance of municipalities.