Latitude Resource launches their new website

As of today when you visit the Latitude Resource website, you will be faced with our new look.  Whilst the majority of the changes are cosmetic, the two main changes to our website is the addition of of our Professional Recruitment page - due to repeated requests from our clients, we now source, vet and place professionals outside of the GIS field.

The other exciting change is that the Latitude Resource website is now mobile-friendly - we are now accessible via your smartphone or tablet, making connecting with us so much more efficient - you can connect with us on the more popular social media platforms

    

We hope you find the new website fresh and modern; we worked hard to make sure it contains valuable information to assist both the client looking for a professional resource and the professional looking for the right career.

For any questions, suggestions, feedback or comments, please contact us

The latest South African Journal of Geomatics

South African Journal of Geomatics - Volume 4 has just published its latest issue. 

Here is the list of some of the articles:

Effect of Impervious Surface Area and Vegetation Changes on Mean Surface Temperature over Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa~ Adeniyi Adedayo Adeyemi, Joel Botai, Fritz van der Merwe, Philemon Tsela


Challenges in Coastal Spatial Data Infrastructure implementation: A review~ Mohammed Oludare Idrees


Determination of Urban Thermal Characteristics on an Urban/Rural Land Cover Gradient Using Remotely Sensed Data 
~ Kusasalethu Sithole, John Odindi


Monitoring land Cover Changes and Fragmentation dynamics in the subtropical thicket of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa 
~ Adolph Nyamugama,  Vincent Kakembo


Exploring the utility of the additional WorldView-2 bands and support vector machines in mapping land use/land cover in a fragmented ecosystem, South Africa~ Galal Elawad Khaled Omer,  Onisimo Mutanga, Elfatih Mohammed,  Abdel-Rahman,  Elhadi Adam


Cadastral Systems Re-engineering in Urban Zimbabwe~ Edward Kurwakumire,  Shelter Kuzhazha


The investigation of radionuclides distributions in beach sand by means of GIS techniques~ Jacques Bezuidenhout


Remote sensing bio-control damage on aquatic invasive alien plant species~ Na'eem Hoosen Agjee,  Onisimo Mutanga,  Riyad Ismail


Mapping forest transition trends in Okomu reserve using Landsat and UK-DMC-2 satellite data~ Alex Okiemute Onojeghou,  Ajoke Ruth Onojeghou


Performance Evaluation of some Blind Tropospheric Delay correction Models over Africa 
~ Olalekan Isioye,  Ludwig Combrinck,  Joel Botai


Use of GIS and Orthophotos In Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Land Uses AndCity Expansion: A Case of Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa~ Johane Paidamoyo Hlatywayo,  Thomas Masvosve


Soil carbon estimation from eucalyptus grandis using canopy spectra~ Michael T Gebreslasie,  Mzinyane Thamsanqa,  Jan van Aardt

Mapping #FeesMustFall across the country

Fees Must Fall (#FeesMustFall) is a student-led protest movement that began in mid October 2015 in response to an increase in fees at South African universities. The protests also called for higher wages for low earning university staff who worked for private contractors such as cleaning services and campus security and for them to be employed directly by universities. 

Protests started at the University of Witwatersrand and spread to the University of Cape Town and Rhodes University before rapidly spreading to other universities across the country

eNCA created a map of this week's protest action across the country. You can explore all the participating institutions' events here

 Photo:  eNCA / Jessica Mulder

 Photo: eNCA / Dianne Hawker & Jessica Mulder

Mapping Gang Warfare

Google maps  showing London's Turf Wars 

Gangs have been operating around the world since the 17th century and now in the 21st century are considered one of the most serious crime problems in most cities around the world.  Californian Justice Department consider criminal street gangs to be the single largest threat to public safety.  Traditionally gangs were formed by groups of similar backgrounds and motivations coming together in a neighbourhood or territory, but now with social media being so prevalent in all our lives, the internet is now being used as recruitment as well as bragging platforms which means they have now become global enterprises, according to Dr Robert Muggah of the SevDev Foundation.  

The SevDev Foundation use this the gang's online activity to monitor activity as it would seem that the majority of the gangs do not disable the geolocations on their twitter and facebook postings, making it possible to track their online activity to a specific place.

Read Drugs, guns and selfies: Gangs on Social Media for the full article.

ESRI's Rugby World Cup Map Tour

Twickenham Stadium

Rugby surely has to be the most popular topic of social conversation anywhere in the world right now and given that ESRI products have over 40% global market share, it's not surprising that they have combined the two and come up with an informative map tour of the tournament, featuring the highlights, the stadiums and info stats on the various teams.

Tournament Highlights

Mapping the highest trail on earth

What a view © Alex Treadway

Running the entire 45000km length of the Himalaya via Bhutan, Nepal and India, is the Great Himalaya Trail  - Robin Boustead has taken on the challenge to map the world’s longest and highest walking route.

Robin Boustead is the brains behind the Great Himalaya Trail - what he hopes will one day be a mammoth trek across the entire Himalaya - an epic 157-day trek reaching up 6 2000m, dipping down to 870m, and traversing some of the world's wildest mountain landscapes.

Robin enjoys the scenery© Robin Boustead

A vast expanse of trails © Alex Treadway

This trail takes trekker high into the Himalayan mountain range, over arguably some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.  The trails has so far been mapped through Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pakistan and work is now under on the Indian and Tibetan sections.

Pioneer, Robin Boustead says doing the trail is well worthwhile:  "Get out there and do it!  Get some serious field experience and if you don't have that, then do it with someone who does.  No matter how tough you think it's going to be, it will tougher!  But it is a great, life-changing experience - you genuinely don't come back the same person.  Of course, the views are spectacular too!"

Read the full article here

Robin on the West Col© Robin Boustead

Exploring South Africa through Census Data

Derived from the IsiXhosa word "ulwazi" for knowledge, the guru's at  Code for Africa came up with Wazimap as a way of supplying detailed demographics and election results for everywhere in South Africa, right down to the ward level. Age, income, household goods, employment, toilets, water and other service delivery details across the country from the 2011 Census.

Type in the name of address of a place, then select the location you are interested in from the dropdown.

Hover over graphs to see comparison with the province and country averages.

Statistics are broken down into categories
eg. Service Delivery

Already proven to be successful, Code for Africa has adapted Wazimap for Kenya and Nigeria

Were you born to code?

A radical new initiative launching in South Africa, called WeThinkCode will offer free "world class computer training" to anyone who qualifies. Based on the successful 42 model in France, the school will be run like an incubator and by 2017 aims to produce 1000 qualified IT professionals each year. Their corporate sponsorship model means there are no financial restrictions and is thus particularly accessible for under-privileged students.

Importantly the students at WeThinkCode will learn by solving problems and also complete two 4-month internships during the 2 year programme which has a strong emphasis on mentorship. This will produce well rounded and independently minded techies with practical experience that can enter the workplace and make a real difference. Even though computers and technology dominate our lives, it's still the coder behind the code that really matters.


Are you a tech champion? Sign up and take the challenge

Challenge - Applications of Earth Observation Data

The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) believe there is significant scope to increase the use of earth observation data, in both the public and private sphere, within South Africa. This will lead to a range of benefits, both in terms of commercial competitiveness as well as societal benefit.

In order to achieve these outcomes, SANSA and ADS are searching for novel applications that make use of their large resource of multi-sensor satellite data. SANSA / ADS therefore invite both groups and individuals to submit proposals around the novel use of satellite data.

 View Challenge for further details

The latest South African Journal of Geomatics

South African Journal of Geomatics has just published its latest issue and you are invited to review visit their web site to review articles and items of interest.

Articles

Evaluating an animated and static time series map of District Six:  A visual cognitive approach (189-197)
 - Nurudien Dawood, Siddique Motala

Participartory Web GIS:  The Case of Theewaterskloof Dam
- Kevin Musungu, Dorette Jacobs

The Management of Scarce Water Resources using GNSS, InSAR and In-Situ Micro Gravity Measurements as Monitoring Tools (213 - 223)
- Richard Wonnacott, Chris Hartnady, Jeanine Engelbrecht

Spatial Statistical Analysis of Dissatisfaction with the Performance of Local Government in the Gauteng City-Region, South Africa (224 - 239)
 - Koech Cheruiyot, Chris Wray, Samy Katumba

A comparison of the proportional composition of programs in geo(info)matics/ GIS&T at three universities in Europe, Africa and America respectively(240 - 249)
 - Paddington Hodza, Gertrud Schaab, Serena Coetzee, Fritz van der Merwe, Brandon Vogt

Improving the potential of pixel-based supervised classification in the absence of quality ground truth data (250 - 263)
- Erika Pretorius, Rudi Pretorius

Functional Classification of the Gauteng provincial road network using the South African Road Classification and Access Management Manual (TRH26) (264- 272)
- Pryaska Veramoothea, Andre' Breytenbach, Ethel Baloyi

Geospatial Subsidence Hazard Modelling at Sterkfontein Caves (273 - 284)
- Hamid Ashraf, Frederick Cawood

Exploring the Potential for Geographical Knowledge Systems in upgrading Informal Settlements in Cape Town (285 - 298)
- Bosiu Edward Lefulebe, Kevin Musungu, Siddique Motala

Preliminary investigation into the cause and impact of acid mine water-induced seismicity in Johannesburg (299 - 308)
- Izak du Plessis, Keagen Liebenberg, Ansie Smit, Serena Coetzee, Andrzej Kijko

Fire scar mapping for disaster response in KwaZulu-Natal South Africa using Landsat 8 imagery (309 - 316)
- Zakariyyaa Oumar

Towards a New way of Measuring Service Delivery in Gauteng: Calculating a Fortante Index (317 - 325)
- Peter Schmitz, Sanet Eksteen, Stefan de Bruin

Clarifying requirements for setting up a national observatory in support ofevidence-based planning in South Africa (326 - 338)
- Serena Coetzee, Julian Smit

Enhancing the online discovery of geospatial data through taxonomy, folksonomy and semantic annotations (339 - 350)
- Samy Katumba, Serena Coetzee

Data Collections

According to Wikipedia, Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on variables of interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes.

However, there are thousands of powerful datasets available online from research institutions, free of charge; moreover, in the age of the web and social media, data pulled from social networks or your own web traffic can generate extraordinary insights about your reach.

Code for South Africa  believe that data is not just for personal use.  Data should be shareable, mash-able, available for commercial use. Their goal is to promote the release of data under an open data licence to make it available to everyone who wants it.  They have datasets for almost anything you can think of! 

For example, if you think your local pharmacy is overcharging you, check  what your medicine should cost. 

Want to know the Police statistics per police station for 29 different crime categories? This dataset includes data from 2005 - 2014, and is based on the data released by SAPS

Use their Data Portal  to browse and search their various datasets.

The danger of counter offers

Your employer offers an increase in salary to counter an offer made by a competing firm. Many employees will entertain, and a few will accept the counter-offer. Those that accept a counter-offer often do so because they will not have to address the emotions of leaving their "comfort zone" (current employer), and entering into the unknown of joining a new company.  But, what are the dangers of accepting a counter-offer? 


Before you decide to accept your employers counter-offer, consider the following:

ABC's of Hiring #14 BEWARE THE DANGERS OF COUNTEROFFERS

Receive A Job Counter-Offer? Don't Take It

Statistics show that those employees who accept a counter-offer are no longer with the same company six months later.  Accepting a counter-offer can influence the decision of a future employer from making you an offer to join their company. In effect, you may have "blackballed" yourself.

Remember the reasons you had for making a career change. Sure, part of it may be compensation. However, there were probably other motivating factors such as, upward mobility, challenge, geographic location, and so on.

Once you have made the decision to make a change in your career path, make a plan, follow your plan, and stick to it. Don't allow yourself to be "futured" into staying with your current employer. It is not worth the risk.

Career Advice

The geospatial industry operates in a wide market and it can be daunting to decide in exactly what industry sector you would like to pursue a geospatial career.  This decision can even be more overwhelming if you are just qualified or have changed careers and are starting your search for employment within the GIS industry.

 

In order to provide sound career advice, we have listed here below quick links from our earlier blogs which broadly cover the more commonly-asked questions.

 

Free online GIS Courses - Ideal for those wanting to up-skill themselves or just exploring their options.  Although we certainly do recommend that those serious about their profession try to obtain a formal qualification, it is possible to teach yourself GIS for free to kickstart your training.

Once you've got that qualification behind you and you are now ready to enter the job market, there are some really important points to consider before you apply for that desired position.  Remember that you want to sell yourself to a potential employer, and a well-written cv can do that for you, so take the time to draft up a good cv.  We just cannot stress how important it is to spend time on your cv and here we've written numerous blogs on this.  Free-cv-templates is a good starting point.  Don't forget the importance of a cover letter - please pay special attention to spelling and grammar.  Ask a family member for honest feedback - this is not the time to be offended.

Our blog Tips and Advice contains a wealth of valuable links - a must read for all newcomers into the job market.

And then when you've spent hours drafting your cv, you only have 8.8 seconds to impress a prospective employer.  It's not fair we know, but preparation is the key here, so go back and relook that cv! 

Before you think you're all set to go have a look at these blogs :

• 5 ways job seekers blow it may be humorous, but very applicable!
• Seven key questions to ask yourself before applying for a job contains very pertinent questions - a must read!

The next big step, of course is the interview, and this is where you will finally be given the opportunity to sell yourself face-to-face.  Randeep Hooda once said "knowledge is power.  You can't begin a career, or for that matter even a relationship, unless you know everything there is to know about it" - therefore be prepared and do your homework.  If you are new to the job market enlist the help of your family - let them ask you potential GIS interview questions.

It's unrealistic to expect to land your dream job at your first interview - use it as a learning curve to see how to improve your interview skills see how you can improve your geospatial employment prospects

During your job search you may come across that ideal job in another town, but please think very carefully before submitting your application.  Talk about it with your loved ones, we've had numerous situations where candidates have been given a firm offer of employment for them to suddenly back-track, all because they didn't think it through.

And lastly, even looking for an internship can be daunting if you don't know where and how to find internships

If we haven't covered your query here, please do make contact with us - we'd love to be of assistance.

What to consider when relocating for a job

 

 Whilst your skills and experience certainly lend themselves to certain types of jobs, they aren’t the only things you should consider when applying for a new position, particularly when looking to relocate.  Whilst you may be thrilled to get that job in a new city, don't underestimate the difficulties involved.  From financial strain to fitting in with your new co-workers, you may experience a lot more stress than you anticipated.

So, before responding “Yes” to our question “Are you willing to relocate?” please seriously consider the following:

 

• Do your research with regards to salary expectations of the new area you want to relocate to, especially if you are moving from a small town/area to one of the larger cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria.  Determine the job you want to have in the new town. This may or may not be the same as your current job - when determining your job, assess your current skills and qualifications to determine what type of jobs you are good at.  Decide which city you want to work in - do research on the city, including the cost of living and salary statistics. Salary statistics reveal how much you can expect to be paid for specific job position, based on geographic location.  

• Note that you cannot expect that your new employer can cover your increase in living expenses if the salary is not market related in the area or for your skills - think this through before you apply/go for an interview since you do not want to waste the employers time if your salary increase is not viable, remember, most agents and organisations will ask for your current salary and make a offer on this.

• Other things to consider before deciding on a city include the climate, culture, public transport and school systems, if you have children.  Before deciding to move to a city you are unfamiliar with, plan a scouting trip.  This gives you a firsthand look at what the city is like.

• Perhaps the most obvious facet of relocating is the expense involved.  Even if your new company provides you with a relocation allowance, the costs can really add up. Don't underestimate the expenses of the removal truck, deposits or down payments on a new home, fuel, temporary accommodation, food, etc. If you don't plan for these setbacks, the stress may interfere with your ability to begin your new job successfully.

• Keep in mind that rent and travel expenses will be more in larger cities than smaller cities and towns  - Ask yourself, will your new salary expectations cover living expenses in new area? Can you cover your own travel and relocation cost if the company does not cover this?

 

A move can be highly stressful. You won't know how to get around your first few days and may get lost on your first trip to the store. You may feel lonely because you left friends and family behind.... or your church. Similarly, your wife and kids may have also left friends behind, and your kids must now acclimate themselves to their new school. Chaos is likely to ensue for several weeks or months as you unpack, wait for your house to sell, decide on decorations for your new living quarters and learn your way around the city.

Once however, you have carefully considered all the parameters, accepting a new job in a new city/town can be wonderfully exciting and full of opportunities! 
Read 10 Reasons Why You Should Move to Another City in Your 20’s

Bursary Opportunity at the South African National Space Agency

SANSA leads the Space Science Programme and is a key player in the South African National Antarctic Programme with several on-going space science and space weather related projects in Antarctica, as well as Marion and Gough Island.  The Space Science Directorate of SANSA is host to the only Space Weather Centre in Africa providing early warnings and forecasts on space weather activity, playing an important role in protecting satellite technology, communication and navigation systems.

 

 

Requirements

• Student should have obtained an aggregate of 65% from previous degree
• Be a South African citizen (preference will be given to previously disadvantaged individuals)
• Meet the minimum entry level requirement for acceptance to a South African University at the level for which the bursary is required.
• Intends to register between March and September 2016
• Have a proposal and supervisor already identified
• Please download Testimonial template from Bursaries menu  
• Request education official to complete testimonial document.
• Have a valid e-mail address so that SANSA can communicate with you during the application process.
• Submit all the necessary supporting documents as part of the online application process. If you are unable to do so, you will not be able to submit your online application.

Closing Date for Applicants: 31 August 2015

Please visit SANASA Bursaries for all the details

GISSA Western Cape Members Event

• Date: Friday 3 July 2015 PLATO CPD Accredited Event - No: GISSA278
• Venue: Edgemead Hall, Edgemead Drive, Edgemead, Cape Town (Map - https://goo.gl/maps/VId6y)
• RSVP: Please RSVP by close of business Tuesday 30 June 2015 (Thabisile Rambau - westerncape@gissa.org.za)
• Door Fee: R200 per person *ONLY Applicable if you are not a GISSA paid up member for 2015

Time	Name	Topic	Organisation	Slot
09h00	Registration & Coffee
09h30	Chlodwik Rossouw	Welcome	GISSA Western Cape	10 mins
09h40	Alex Fortescue	New Remote Sensing Technologies and Applications	Digital Globe	30 mins
10h10	FC Basson	Elsenburg.com Online Tools	Elsenburg	30 mins
10h40	Roger Daniels	A spatial multiple site approach for poverty eradication planning	Western Cape Government	30 mins
11h10	Coffee Break
11h40	Philip Frost	Advanced Fire Information System (AFIS)	CSIR	30 mins
12h10	Salih Ali Mohamed	GIS Time Series Mapping of the Ciskei Homeland	CPUT	20 mins
12h30	Chlodwik Rossouw	Committee Feedback (Students, Committee, Council, etc)	GISSA Western Cape	30 mins
13h00	Lunch & Networking