Surveying Articles

We’re Not Just Writing About Surveying—We’re Writing Toward It

There’s no shortage of noise in the surveying world these days—automation this, AI that, another software company promising the end of fieldwork as we know it. At the same time, public understanding of what surveyors actually do seems to be fading fast. Ask ten people on the street, and half will tell you it’s something to do with construction. The other half won’t be sure at all.

For many surveyors, this disconnect isn’t just frustrating—it’s personal. We see corners being cut. Field time shrinking. Boundaries being redrawn by people who’ve never even set foot on the land. Meanwhile, fewer and fewer professionals are being asked what they think, or what they know.

That’s where this article series comes in. Not as a solution to all of that—but as a response. A steady one.

We’re not here to shout into the void. We’re here to document what’s happening, connect the dots, and preserve what matters while we still have time. Each

The Rise of Phantom Property — What’s Actually Happening

There’s a quiet land grab happening—one without bulldozers, boundary markers, or even boots on the ground. In boardrooms and investor decks, a new breed of tech startup is pitching a future where land ownership is determined not by surveys, deeds, or courts, but by algorithms. Blockchain-based title systems. AI-generated land records. Tokenized real estate. These aren’t just buzzwords anymore—they’re the front lines of an emerging threat that could fundamentally sever legal ownership from physical ground truth.

And the surveyor? Nowhere in sight.

Here’s the pitch these startups are selling: Why rely on outdated systems, slow bureaucracies, and “expensive” professionals to manage land records, when we can automate everything? Just upload old maps, scrape tax data, stitch together some GIS layers, and use artificial intelligence to “predict” property boundaries. Register the result on a blockchain, issue a digital token, and boom

The Push to Kill Surveying Licensure: Who’s Behind It and Why

“Deregulation means anyone with a drone and a YouTube tutorial could call themselves a ‘surveyor.’ Think about that.”

Imagine a world where your profession no longer requires a license. No formal education. No testing. No accountability. Just a drone, an app, and a self-proclaimed "expert" ready to sell surveying services to unsuspecting clients. Sound ridiculous? It’s already happening.

The push to deregulate surveying licensure isn’t just some fringe movement—it’s a coordinated effort by powerful lobbying groups, tech companies, and corporate developers who see licensure as an “obstacle” to their profits. If they succeed, surveying won’t just be devalued—it will be overrun by unqualified operators creating inaccurate data, driving down industry standards, and flooding the market with unreliable results.

Surveyors must wake up to this threat. Licensure isn’t about gatekeeping—it’s about protecting public trust, property ri

BEING THE SURVEYOR OF AN AIRFORCE BASE DURING THE 1980’s

 Introduction

 The South African Defence Force, now the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), was involved in a Bosoorlog or Grens oorlog (Bush war or Border war)¹ from 1966 till 1989.

 In order to protect the most northern borders of South Africa, a number of smaller, shorter perhaps, airstrips or airfields, sometimes referred to as tactical airfields, were constructed or in some cases upgraded.

 Examples of the above are Ellisras, Punda Maria (in the Kruger National Park) and then a full scale air force base with a 4000 m runway at Louis Trichardt.

 The construction at Louis Trichardt was given the project name Braambos.

 A Little Bit of Background

 I joined the South African Airforce during June 1972. My initial mustering was Construction Machine Operator and I was deployed at 402 Airfield Maintenance Unit (402AMU) with head quarters at air force base Ysterplaat in Cape Town. I completed the training course on 11 February 197