Town and Regional Planner

Town and Regional Planners focus on improving the living conditions of people. They estimate future needs for housing, business and industrial sites, community facilities and open spaces to meet the needs of expansion and renewal. This career offers the opportunity to play a role in developing affordable housing and effective infrastructure in a South Africa that has quickly growing population, and is becoming more and more urbanised.

They need to be able to:

• Investigate problems concerning prospective development
• Project future needs in traffic and transportation
• Keep up with legal issues involving community development and changes in housing and building codes

Town and Regional Planners usually hold a bachelor’s degree and a postgraduate degree.  All graduated Town and Regional Planners may register at the South African Council for Town and Regional Planners after completion of at least three years of approved postgraduate practical experience.  In terms of the qualifications available at the abovementioned institutions, you will be able to complete on of the following qualifications:

University of Johannesburg

• Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning
• MEng (Civil Engineering) Research Based

University of Pretoria

• Bachelor of Town and Regional Planning
• BScHons Applied Science Architecture

University of the Witwatersrand

• BSc Urban and Regional Planning
• MEng Civil and Environmental Engineering

Most Town and Regional Planners work full-time during a normal work week (40 hours). Although they often have to attend meetings with neighbourhood committees and officials in the community, and sometimes planning commissions, which do take some extra work and time.

The salary of a Town and Regional Planner varies depending on the level of education and experience they have.

• 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of R180 011 per annum
• 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of R250 000 per annum
• Over 10 years of experience earns an average total compensation of R575 000 + per annum

Most of the work is done in an office but it is also necessary to go out on site to see whether everything is done according to proposed development plans. They also work closely with architects, engineers, economists, sociologists, administrators and management on matters concerning public interest and industry.