Craig Schwabe is the Director of Geospatial Services at GeoScope South Africa and has over 30 years of experience in the geospatial industry. He has led key projects in South Africa, including defining fundamental geospatial datasets for the Committee for Spatial Information, developing the Marine and Coastal Spatial Data Infrastructure, and creating a guideline for improving access to government service points for the DPSA. Internationally, he has advised agencies and contributed to geospatial frameworks across Africa. His expertise lies in creating demographic, economic, and service access datasets, with a focus on using geospatial intelligence to promote inclusive growth, effective governance, and sustainable development.
GISSA Western Cape Hybrid Business Event - 07 October 2025
Feedback from the launch of DPME's Geospatial Information Management Strategy (GIMS) - By Craig Schwabe
Road Asset Management – Condition Assessment Leveraging the use of Machine Learning and Image Recognition - By Burgert Malan
Challenge: The development and maintenance of road networks play an important role in the economic development of a country. The proper upkeep of roads improves their safety, reduces the cost of transportation, both in terms of money and time, and enables better regional and international economic integration. Solution: Reliable and cost-effective automation can help overcome the above challenges. IMQS Software has developed its own automated road-assessment solution by harnessing the power of machine learning and image recognition. This solution requires no specialized skills, and considerably increases the speed of acquiring reliable road-condition data
Leveraging freely available satellite-derived products and machine learning to map invasive alien trees and their water-use impacts. - By Liam Cogill
This study investigates the water use of woody invasive alien plants (IAPs) in strategic water source areas and their impacts on catchment-scale water resources. Using field-based evapotranspiration (ET) measurements and satellite-derived ET products, we evaluated product accuracy and developed an ensemble model, achieving strong agreement with observed data (r = 0.85). Water use comparisons revealed that invasive alien trees consume substantially more water than indigenous vegetation, with restoration scenarios showing significant potential water savings. Findings highlight the importance of IAP clearing for securing water resources and provide critical insights for restoration planning, policy, and management strategies.
