URBAN DEVCO TOWN PLANNERS
Urban Devco Town Planners
“WE ADD VALUE TO LAND in understanding how to apply spatial planning frameworks, policies and land use schemes, in order to obtain optimal land values and development opportunities for our clients and conclude our projects with GIS Map reflections. “
Statutory Planning: We operate mainly within the jurisdiction area of the City of Johannesburg, whilst we further specialize in Mogale City, inclusive of Lanseria and the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (COH WHS). Other areas of involvement include the Maruleng and Musina Municipal areas. We further deal with land use applications on tribal land in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.
Urban Devco also serves international clients from the UK, the Netherlands, Italy and Canada who own and develop land in South Africa.
The Urban Devco Team
The Urban Devco town and regional planning team has successfully dealt with more than 2 200 land use applications which include more than 50 townships , whilst Manda has successfully dealt with 67 tribunal/appeal cases.
Who We Are
Our Team
Manda Smit (B/8081/1999): Principal Planner/Managing Member
Manda is the founding and managing member of Urban Devco and operates as an urban geographer/ urban planner. Manda holds a Magister Artium in Urban Geography and a higher diploma in Administrative and Municipal Law from the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), now the University of Johannesburg (UJ). She also holds a Post Graduate Teaching Diploma from UNISA. Manda started her career as a market researcher at Urban Studies at RAU, followed by a town planning career in local government for 15 years of which 5 years as Chief Town Planner of the Krugersdorp Transitional Local Council. She has vast experience in all aspects of town planning with her main focus on strategic development advice and land use planning, inclusive of township applications, tribunals and appeal cases.
Manda has 39 years of experience and celebrates 25 years in business this year.
Beyond her consulting work, Manda’s passion lies in Mentorship and training. She has played a pivotal role in the career success of more than 20 town planners, guiding them to secure top positions in both private and government sectors. Her approach encompasses not only town planners but also personal development, helping individuals to unlock their full potential as town planners.
Manda’s commitment to education and empowerment has culminated in the establishment off Urban Devco Academy. This academy is a platform for training and mentoring individuals, companies and organizations in the realm of town planning and personal development. It is a testament to her dedication to build a brighter future.
Andrew Mabilo: Town Planner/Facilitator
Andrew joined Urban Devco in 2018 as a well experienced town planner, after 22 years in the employ of Mogale City. Andrew acts as facilitator on behalf of the company with municipalities, provincial and government departments. As a facilitator, Andrew is enhancing communication between Urban Devco and government officials, which improves the timely consideration of land development applications.
Andrew also assists with public participation processes to bridge the language gap.