Address Guidelines for South Africa

Follow these guidelines to provide input that Geocode Address Global can successfully geocode. For additional information about South African addresses, see the South African Postal Service website: http://www.postoffice.co.za/.

  • Required fields—Addresses must contain a city. ZAF does not consider postal codes in addresses.
  • Thoroughfare types—Thoroughfare types and their common abbreviations are recognized and fully supported on input and output. The following table shows is a partial list of recognized thoroughfare types. Many others are also recognized.

    Pre-thoroughfare types

    alley=steeg
    avenue=av,ave,avn,avenu
    boulevard=blvrd,blvd,bvld,kringweg
    close=cl,clse
    corner=cor
    court=crt,ct
    crescent=cres,cr,singel,single,sgl,sng
    drive=dr,dri,drv
    road=roads,pad,ro,roa,rd,rds
    freeway=freewa,fwy
    highway=highwa,hwy
    lane=ln
    place=pl,plek
    square=sq,square,plein
    street=straat,str,strs,sts,stre,stree,streets,st
    stret=stret
    hill=heuwel
    market=mark
    promenade=wandelweg
    way=weg
    cul-de-sac=doodloopstraat,cul de sac
    rylaan=rylaan,laan,rln

    Post-thoroughfare types

    Most pre-thoroughfare types can also be used as post-thoroughfare types. Some additional post-thoroughfare types may be recognized.
  • Common words and abbreviations—The geocoder recognizes common words, directionals, house number indicators, and abbreviations used in addresses and can geocode these addresses successfully. This is a partial list of common words and abbreviations that are recognized. Many other common words are also handled.
    Table 1. Common Words

    Category

    Words

    Common words

    h/v,hv,hoek van,cor,cn,c/r,corner,co,cnr.,cnr,corner of,c/o

    Pre-address indicators

    plaza, centre, office, building, mall, square, market, clinic, school, lodge, estate, estates, floor, shop, store, station, hospitaal, hospital, mine, shaft, airport, lughawe, mart, arcade, department, complex, stand, shopping, unit, villa

    Towns

    port, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, v1, v2, v3, v4, v6, unit, hill, proper, ah, sp, industrial, municipality, township, city, last, agricultural, plots, plotte, new, rural, area, nature, reserve, estate, golf, school, course, institute, farms, farm, plaas, mine

    Surname-joining words

    van, den, de, le, la, du, der, AH, du, von, van der, van den, vander, vanden, mac

    Articles of speech

    the, at, a, an

    Suburb indicators

    proper, tide, glen, rand, nature, reserve, country, club, golf, course, lake, lakes, kloof, view, valley, ah, ah., yard, village, gardens, bazaar, ridge, township, tuine, industrial, industrieël, industrieel, central, hill, natuurpark, grounds, gronde, rif, heights, hoogte, club, sanctuary, grove, deep, estate, estates, rail, flats, willows, farm, plaas, manor, acres, interchange

    Common abbreviations

    doctor=dr, ductor, docter
    professor=prof
    dominee=ds
    president=pres
    saint=st
    second=sec
    third=thrd
    fifth=fid
    seventh=sev
    eighth=eig
    ninth=nin
    captain=capt
    general=genrl
    extention=phase, ext, uitbreiding, utibrei, uitbr, sw
    january=jan, januarie
    february=feb, februarie
    march=mar, maart
    april=apr
    may
    june=jun, junie
    july=jul, julie
    august=aug, augustus
    september=sep
    october=oct, oktober
    november=nov
    december=dec, desember

    Directionals

    noord, north, noordoos, north east, noordwes, north west, no., nw., ne., oos, east, wes, west, nne., ene., ese., sse., ssw., wsw., wnw., nnw., westelike, western, suidelike, southern, noordelike, northern, oostelike, eastern, suid, south, suidoos, south east, suidwes, south west, sw., se.