Last year the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of the City of Tshwane in its drive to remove 25 apartheid-era street names in Pretoria, and replace them with those who fought for the liberation of the city.[1]
The street name changes will affect more than 27 000 businesses and property owners directly. In all these cases, title deeds will have to be re-issued. Furthermore, businesses will have to make significant administrative adjustments in order to accommodate the name changes.[2]
Some of the costs of a street name change include:
1. New street name signage and installation cost
2. Title deed registrations for new addresses
3. Business stationery, including websites, letterheads, business cards and other corporate identity costs
4. Changes to maps and physical direction guides for new names
5. Advertisement necessary to give notice of new addresses
As per the South African Geographical Names Council 849 names of residential areas, suburbs and national geographic places have been changed over the past 14 years.[3]
Statistics show that the most name changes were made in Limpopo with a total of 318, followed by Mpumalanga with 136 changes.
The Eastern Cape had 134 changes, the North West 127, KwaZulu-Natal 54, Western Cape 35, Gauteng 31, the Free State eight and the Northern Cape six.[4]
- Hendrik Verwoerd Drive, Cape Town, is now Uys Krige Drive housing businesses such as Siemens House and Protea Hotel
- Coen Steytler Avenue on the Foreshore was changed to Walter Sisulu Avenue. The Avenue begins at Cape Town Lower Heerengracht Boulevard circle, passing the CTICC and Cullinan Hotel. The road accommodates a number of finance and property services companies (e.g. Metlife Centre / Regus office space rentals)
- Modderdam Road became Robert Sobukwe Road where the University of Western Cape can be found
- Lansdowne Road has been divided into three sections: Imam Haron Road, Japhta K Masemola Road, Govan Mbeki Road.[5] – This historically prolific road known to many Capetonians as one of the busiest in town and hosts the likes of Ford Mekor, Audi Claremont, Livingston High School and dozens of other little businesses ranging from property companies to lawyers, bakeries and wholesalers
- DF Malan Drive in Johannesburg was renamed Beyers Naudé Dr.) – 31 km stretch of road packed from door to door with businesses, shopping centres and more, Northcliff, Honeydew and Cresta Shopping Centres
- Point Road in Durban is now Mahatma Gandhi Road. – Holiday Inn Express, SA Post Office, several restaurants leading to Durban Waterfront
- Edward Street, Tshwane became Nelson Mandela Drive, is home to the Tshwane University of Technology
Once a name is changed, the businesses on that street need to change all their details to reflect the new address, websites need to be updated, directories need to be updated, map’s need to be updated.[6]Some businesses said the post office still delivered letters according to the former names.[7]
In part 2, we will unpack how changes to not only the street name but also to suburbs and postcodes impact businesses who wish to communicate with those affected customers.
IDATA can help you contact your customers at the correct addresses to verify that their mail is delivered, saving you time and money while guaranteeing your customers are satisfied.
[1] http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/2016/07/21/pretoria-may-replace-apartheid-era-street-names-constitutional-court-rules
[2]http://www.moneyweb.co.za/archive/r800m-to-change-pretoria-street-names/
[3] http://mg.co.za/article/2010-10-13-nearly-850-name-changes-in-sa-14-years
[4] http://mg.co.za/article/2010-10-13-nearly-850-name-changes-in-sa-14-years
[5] http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/six-streets-in-cape-town-renamed-1490148
[6] http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Street-renaming-and-the-impact-20130413
[7] http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/street-names-confusion-set-to-continue-414517