The City of Tshwane publishes its spatial data through a Maps and GIS landing page that hosts the e-GIS Viewer - the municipality's public map viewer covering Pretoria, Centurion, Akasia, Bronkhorstspruit and the rest of the metro. You accept the City's terms and conditions on the landing page, then open the viewer and search for a property to read its zoning, land parcel information and the planning layers the City publishes.
This page walks through searching by erf number (the reliable route in Tshwane), explains what the metro's zoning categories permit, and covers the Annexure system that catches out most Tshwane property owners. If your zoning does not allow the use you have in mind, a Landlodz planner will tell you in a free consult whether that means a consent use, a departure or a full rezoning.
Official viewer
City of Tshwane Maps and GIS - e-GIS Viewer
Scheme: Tshwane Land Use Scheme, 2024 · City of Tshwane Land Use Management By-Law, 2016 (Amended 2024)
Verify before publishing
Verify before publishing: the Tshwane e-GIS host names have changed before. Both the landing page and the direct viewer link were confirmed reachable on 17 September 2026 - re-check both before this page goes live.
How to read a Tshwane (Pretoria) zoning result
6 steps- Step 01
Open the Maps and GIS landing page
Go to the City of Tshwane Maps and GIS landing page and tick the terms and conditions box. The viewer tiles on the page stay locked until you do - this is the single most common reason people report that the Tshwane viewer "doesn't work". Once accepted, click the e-GIS Viewer tile.
- Step 02
Search by erf number and township
Erf numbers restart in every township, so "Erf 456" on its own is meaningless. Search the number together with the township name as it appears on your rates account or title deed (for example "Erf 456 Brooklyn"). Agricultural holdings and farm portions are recorded differently again - those are held as AH and farm portion parcels rather than erven.
- Step 03
Search by address if you don't have the erf number
If you only have a street address, search it with the suburb attached and click the resulting parcel. The land parcel layer returns the erf number for you, which is the number you will need for every subsequent step - a zoning certificate request, a building plan, or any planning application.
- Step 04
Switch on the zoning layer and click the parcel
Turn on the zoning layer from the layer list, then click the property. The viewer returns the zoning category recorded against the parcel. Tshwane also publishes the urban edge and the Regional Spatial Development Framework as separate layers, both of which affect whether a rezoning is likely to be supported.
- Step 05
Check for an Annexure before you rely on the base zoning
If the property was rezoned at any point, Tshwane records the bespoke conditions as an Annexure to the scheme (shown as something like "Subject to Annexure T1234"). The annexure overrides the base zoning: it can cap the number of units, dictate access points or restrict the permitted use far more tightly than the zoning category suggests. Request the annexure text from the City before you plan anything around the base rights.
- Step 06
Request a zoning certificate for any application
The viewer is informational. A planning application needs a zoning certificate issued by the City, requested by the registered owner or an authorised representative. Landlodz does not generate, issue or order certificates and is not connected to the City's systems - your assigned SACPLAN-registered planner shows you exactly how to request one and incorporates it into the application file.
Need the title deed or SG diagram for this property?
Title deed copy R399 · SG diagram R250 · both R600. Emailed as a PDF, usually within 1–3 working days.
Title deed copyTshwane (Pretoria) zoning codes in plain language
11 codes- Residential 1
One dwelling per erf - most of suburban Pretoria and Centurion.
- Residential 2
Second dwelling permitted - the zoning behind legal granny flats and dual-living.
- Residential 3
Group housing and low-rise flats.
- Residential 4
Higher-density flats and apartments.
- Business 1
CBD-type general business at high intensity.
- Business 2
Service industry and motor trade.
- Business 3
Suburban shops and local-scale business.
- Business 4
Offices and professional suites.
- Industrial 1–3
Light through to heavy industry.
- Agricultural
Smallholdings and farm portions - agricultural use with one dwelling per agricultural unit.
- Special
Use defined entirely by an Annexure - the annexure text is the only reliable statement of what is allowed.
The zoning doesn't allow what you want to do?
In Tshwane the answer depends on whether your use is listed as a consent use inside your zoning, whether you need relief from a building line or coverage rule (a departure), or whether the use simply isn't available in your category at all (a rezoning). An Annexure on the property can change that answer entirely, which is why a planner reads the annexure before advising.
Check it with a planner - freeFrequently asked questions
4 answersIs the Tshwane e-GIS Viewer free?+
Yes. The City of Tshwane's Maps and GIS landing page and the e-GIS Viewer behind it are free and public. You must accept the City's terms and conditions on the landing page before the viewer tiles unlock. A signed zoning certificate is a separate, paid request made to the City by the registered owner or an authorised representative.
How do I find my erf number in Tshwane?+
It is printed on your City of Tshwane rates account and on your title deed. Failing that, search your street address with the suburb in the e-GIS Viewer and click the parcel - the land parcel information returns the erf number. Always quote the erf number with its township name, because erf numbering restarts in every township across the metro.
What is an Annexure in Tshwane zoning?+
When a Tshwane property is rezoned, the City records the specific conditions attached to that approval as an Annexure to the scheme, referenced against the property as something like "Annexure T1234". The annexure overrides the general rights of the zoning category - it can limit unit numbers, uses, access or height. Never assume the base zoning rights apply to a property that carries an annexure without reading the annexure first.
Which scheme applies in Tshwane now?+
The Tshwane Land Use Scheme, 2024 is the current scheme; it supersedes the old Tshwane Town-Planning Scheme, 2008. It operates alongside the City of Tshwane Land Use Management By-Law, 2016 (Amended 2024). Both documents are listed on the City's own website.
Source: City of Tshwane Maps and GIS landing page (e-gis002.tshwane.gov.za/e_gis_LandingPage), which hosts the e-GIS Viewer. Scheme and by-law references per the Tshwane Land Use Scheme, 2024 and the City of Tshwane Land Use Management By-Law, 2016 (Amended 2024), both listed on tshwane.gov.za.
Zoning blocking your plans?
Talk to a registered town planner - free first consult.
We confirm whether you need a rezoning, consent use, departure or nothing at all - and lodge the application if you do.
Start a free consult