Understanding address formats used in South Africa is key to successful geocoding. Each address format is uniquely different and demands a different approach.
Street numbered address
Streets are named and addresses contain both street numbers and street names. Depending on the town planner there may be slight variations in the manner of implementing but usually starting from one end of the street to the end, each property is numbered incrementally, odd and even numbers on either side of the street.
In order to accurately geocode a street numbered address, the Number, Street Name, Suburb Name, and City Name or Postcode are required.
Stand numbered address
The address contains the Suburb Name, Holding Name or Township Name, a City Name or Postcode and the Stand Number (and portion where applicable). The address may also contain a Street Name but this is optional and in most cases simply ignored and not even written as part of the address. As no two properties can have the same stand / portion combination within a surveyed township, this is sufficient information to geocode the address. The City or Postcode may be required to ensure that we identify the correct township as many townships throughout the country have the same names. This is often found in traditional townships and agricultural holding areas.
House numbered address
The address contains the House Number, Township Name, a City Name or Postcode and a House Number. The address may also contain a Street Name but this is optional and in most cases simply ignored and not even written as part of the address. As a rule, no two properties in the same township can have the same house number. The City or Postcode may be required to ensure that we identify the correct township as many townships throughout the country have the same names. Note that although this may appear like a stand number, it differs from the stand number and unlike a stand number which can only be numeric, a house number may, and often does, contain alphabetic characters as well. This is often found in traditional townships areas.
Sectional Title address
This is typically a block of flats or cluster housing. What makes this different is that multiple units are found on one (or more) properties. Although the land parcel may have a single address with associated longitude and latitude, it is advisable to geocode to the individual sectional title unit. Addresses in Sectional Titles often do not have the street number. It is unlikely that two Sectional Titles with the same name will exist in the same street or township. Therefore, even though a Sectional Title address is usually a street number address it is usually possible to geocode even without the street number.
Farms
This is where we associate all dwellings on a farm with the property on which the farm is situated. A Farm Name, Registration Division and Farm Number are required.