Careers › Built environment

How to become a Land Surveyor / Geomatics Professional

Measures and maps land, and manages spatial data.

This needs more than the degree

Only a *registered* professional land surveyor can legally define property boundaries. That registration comes after your degree, with further supervised experience and board exams – check the current requirements with the professional land surveyors’ board.

What does a Land Surveyor / Geomatics Professional actually do?

More about this career

Measures and maps land precisely – property boundaries, construction sites, mines – using GPS and specialised equipment, then manages the spatial data that comes from it. Registered (professional) land surveyors are the only people legally allowed to define property boundaries in South Africa, which keeps demand steady.

Where this degree can take you

  • Geomatics/GIS Specialist
  • Mine Surveyor
  • Cartographer
  • Remote Sensing Analyst

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics
  • Physical Sciences
  • Geography (helpful)

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the programmes we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 14 of 15 programmes
  • Physical Sciences – asked for by 14 of 15 programmes
  • Technical Mathematics – asked for by 6 of 15 programmes
  • Technical Sciences – asked for by 6 of 15 programmes
  • Agricultural Sciences – asked for by 1 of 15 programmes
  • Life Sciences – asked for by 1 of 15 programmes

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each programme links to the page it came from.

Programmes that lead here

15 programmes at 10 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Diploma in Geomatics

Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Bellville Campus

CPUT APS 30 points (method varies by programme)

  • English: 50%
  • Mathematics: 50% OR Technical Mathematics: 60%
  • Physical Sciences: 50% OR Technical Sciences: 60%

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against CPUT’s own prospectus course page. CPUT calculates this programme’s APS using one of three methods, confirmed from page 3 of CPUT’s own 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus - see CPUT_APS for the arithmetic.

Source: View the official page (prospectus.cput.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Bachelor of Geomatics

Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Bellville Campus

CPUT APS 36 points (method varies by programme)

  • English: 60%
  • Mathematics: 60% OR Technical Mathematics: 60%
  • Physical Sciences: 60% OR Technical Sciences: 60%

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against CPUT’s own prospectus course page. CPUT calculates this programme’s APS using one of three methods, confirmed from page 3 of CPUT’s own 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus - see CPUT_APS for the arithmetic.

Source: View the official page (prospectus.cput.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Durban University of Technology

No cut-off publishedSelection programme

Bachelor of the Built Environment in Geomatics

Engineering & the Built Environment · 3 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more) OR Technical Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Two more subjects – Two further recognised NSC 20-credit subjects (not more than one language) at level 4.
  • Combined Maths + Physical Science – Applicants are ranked on Mathematics plus Physical Science, with a minimum combined score of 100%.

New row, read directly from DUT’s 2027 Study Opportunities prospectus (dut-pass-3). Only first- to fourth-choice CAO applicants are considered. CAO code DU-D-BBU. Closes 30 September 2026. From DUT’s 2027 Study Opportunities prospectus. Applications go through the CAO (cao.ac.za), not directly to DUT; general closing date 30 September 2026 (fee R250 SA / R300 international).

Source: View the official page (dut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Mangosuthu University of Technology

No cut-off published

Diploma in Surveying

Engineering · 3 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Raw-read from MUT’s own First-Year Prospectus 2026 (qualification tables, read 2026-10-04): English (First Additional Language) 4 and the Mathematics and Physical Science levels shown; 3 years; further departmental screening applies. CAO code MN-M-DSV.

Source: View the official page (mut.ac.za) (opens the official page)

No cut-off published

Diploma in Surveying (Extended Curriculum, 4 years)

Engineering · 4 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more) OR English: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Read 2026-10-04 from MUT’s own 2026 Engineering Faculty Prospectus: the 4-year Extended Curriculum Programme has the same subject minimums as the regular diploma (English 4 or 5, Mathematics 4, Physical Science 4) with a minimum total of 20 points.

Source: View the official page (mut.ac.za) (opens the official page)

No cut-off published

Surveying Access Course (bridging)

Engineering

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more) OR English: level 3 (40% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 3 (40% or more)

Read 2026-10-04 from MUT’s own 2026 First-Year Prospectus: a bridging access course for applicants who do not meet the diploma entrance requirements (Mathematics 3, Physical Science 3, English Home Language 4 or First Additional Language 3). It is not itself a diploma.

Source: View the official page (mut.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

BSc in GeoInformatics

Science · 3 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 65 %

  • English or Afrikaans – English OR Afrikaans (Home Language or First Additional Language) at 50%.
  • Physical Sciences: 50%
  • Mathematics – Mathematics 60%, or 70% if you choose Computer Science as a university subject.

Read 2026-10-04 from the Stellenbosch 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus (page images). The number shown is the NSC aggregate (excluding Life Orientation). Page 14. Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Tshwane University of Technology

BGeomatics

Engineering & the Built Environment · 3 years

TUT APS 25 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more) OR Technical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

New row, read directly from TUT’s 2026 faculty prospectus (tut-pass-3). Closing date not found in the documents read - check TUT’s website.

Source: View the official page (tut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Diploma in Geomatics

Engineering & the Built Environment · 3 years

TUT APS 23 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 3 (40% or more) OR Technical Sciences: level 3 (40% or more)

New row, read directly from TUT’s 2026 faculty prospectus (tut-pass-3). Closes 30 September 2026 (TUT First-Year Course Information).

Source: View the official page (tut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Cape Town

BSc Geomatics

Engineering & the Built Environment · 4 years

UCT Faculty Points Score 450 out of 600 (band a)

  • Mathematics: 75%
  • Physical Sciences: 70%

Band A (guaranteed offer) is an FPS of 450. Band B (likely offer) is a WPS of 420 - the WPS adds a 0-10% disadvantage factor that we cannot work out from your marks, so we only check you against Band A. Band C (390) applies to redress categories only. The subject minimums shown are the Band A ones; Bands B and C need Maths 65% and Physical Sciences 60%.

Source: View the official page (uct.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Johannesburg

Bachelor of Mine Surveying

Engineering & the Built Environment · 3 years

UJ APS 23 points

  • English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 5 (60% or more) OR Technical Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)

Read from the 2027 UJ Undergraduate Prospectus, page 61, programme code B6SU0Q. Physical Science or Technical Science accepted.

Source: View the official page (uj.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of KwaZulu-Natal

From an older document

BSc Land Surveying

Agriculture, Engineering & Science · 4 years

UKZN APS 33 points out of 48

  • Mathematics: 65%
  • Physical Sciences: 65%
  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

The published APS range is 48-33. CONFIRMED 2026-10-02 for every discipline: a user-supplied copy of UKZN’s own Undergraduate Degree Requirements Guide lists Agricultural, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering as one merged table row sharing this exact entry text and APS range - so this is UKZN’s own stated position that all seven share the formula, not just an inference from Agricultural and Chemical’s own pages (both separately confirmed live, 2026-10-02). This comes from the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure, the most recent official source we could find. UKZN had not published a 2027 table when we checked, so treat these as 2026 figures pending a 2027 update. Applications go through the CAO.

Source: View the official page (studyatukzn.ukzn.ac.za) (opens the official page)

From an older document

BSc Geographic Information Systems and Earth Observation

Agriculture, Engineering & Science · 3 years

UKZN APS 30 points out of 48

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Agricultural Sciences: level 4 (50% or more) OR Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more) OR Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Read 2026-10-04 from the table in the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure (CAO code KN-P-BSG); published APS range 48-30. This comes from the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure, the most recent official source we could find. UKZN had not published a 2027 table when we checked, so treat these as 2026 figures pending a 2027 update. Applications go through the CAO.

Source: View the official page (studyatukzn.ukzn.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Pretoria

BSc Geoinformatics

Natural & Agricultural Sciences · 3 years

UP APS 34 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)

From the user-supplied Natural & Agricultural Sciences 2027 Faculty Yearbook. Most UP closing dates are 30 June; Veterinary Science closes 31 May. Grade 12 applicants apply with their final Grade 11 results.

Source: View the official page (drupalwebprod-files.up.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Witwatersrand

BSc Geospatial Sciences

Science · 3 years

Wits APS 42 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)
  • NBT – All Faculty of Science applicants must write the NBT (registration deadline 31 October 2026).

Read from the live 2027 course-finder page on 2026-10-04. Applications close 30 September 2026. Programme code SBA20.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every programme above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?