News in 2025

FIG CONGRESS 2026, A site visit Cape Town

January, 2025, Cape Town, South Africa

FIG President Diane Dumashie traveled to Cape Town for a three-day site visit, where she met with the leaders of the FIG Congress 2026 Local Organising Committee (LOC).

The FIG Congress will be held from May 24-29, 2026, in Cape Town, South Africa. Often referred to as the ‘Mother City,’ Cape Town is renowned for its beautiful beaches, stunning biodiversity, award-winning cuisine and wine, and a wide array of experiences.

Cape Town, with its breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, has always been a highly sought-after destination. This cosmopolitan city, surrounded by nature and the iconic Table Mountain, recognized as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, celebrates this accolade as a triumph for the mountain itself and a significant achievement for Cape Town and South Africa as a whole.

During a three-day site visit in Cape Town, FIG President Diane Dumashie met with the leaders of the FIG Congress 2026 Local Organising Committee (LOC). The Congress is organized by FIG in collaboration with the South African Geomatics Institute (SAGI) and supported by SAGC.

Special thanks to FIG Members from South Africa and Poland for their commitment to FIG conferences.

This Congress is particularly noteworthy due to the dedication and resilience of FIG members from both Poland and South Africa. In 2018, Cape Town was elected by the FIG General Assembly as the destination for the FIG Congress 2022. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent travel difficulties, the FIG General Assembly in 2021 decided to move the 2022 Congress from Cape Town to Warsaw, Poland, where the Association of Polish Surveyors hosted a very successful event on short notice. It was then agreed that Cape Town would host the Congress in 2026.

This site visit by the FIG President comes after and follows up on the organized visit by FIG Director Louise Friis Hansen in 2019, considering the changes that have occurred since then.

FIG conferences are founded on the spirit of partnership. Accordingly, a Steering Committee is established its purpose is to serve as the central focal point for strategic decisions between FIG and the larger local organizing committee, which is responsible for all aspects of conference organization and comprises surveyors from Cape Town and across South Africa.  It is the Co-Congress Directors, Dereck Clarke and Louise Friis-Hansen, who maintain regular contact to ensure smooth day-to-day decisions and cooperation.

The site visit team on this occasion included members from the SC: Siyabonga Mdubeki (Chief Surveyor-General of South Africa), Peter Newmarch (President of SAGI), Nape Mojapelo (Chairperson of the SAGC), Aslam Parker (Chief Director: National Geospatial Information), who hosted our Steering Committee meetings, and our Conference Directors, Dereck Clarke and Louise Friis Hansen.  Jennifer Whittle was also in attendance for part of the days

Siyabonga Mdubeki, Nozipho Madlala, Nape Mojapelo, Diane Dumashie, Peter Newmarch, Jennifer Whittle, and Optron

On the first day, FIG President held an inception meeting with the Steering Committee and Co-Conference Director Dereck Clarke, with Louise Friis Hansen participating online for part of the meeting. A wrap-up meeting was held on the third day.

Preparations are now beginning in earnest as the local organizing committees work to accommodate both national and international attendees. SAGI's strong involvement over the years will ensure that they ma draw upon an active local organizing committee with many familiar faces in FIG.

Venue Visits

During the second day the site visit included a tour of the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC), where the Congress will be held. This impressive complex, located in the heart of Cape Town, allowed the LOC to observe ongoing preparations firsthand. Led by the LOC’s conference specialist, Lesley Ferreira, a selection of hotels covering a range of budgets was identified, with the Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel chosen as the conference hotel.

Courtesy of CTICC website
PHOTO right: CTICC Interior 		 
Conference hotel Steering Committee members visit
Cullinan hotel
Located within a few minutes' walk of the CTICC, it is also a suitable venue for pre-events. Additionally, the iconic V&A Waterfront, a comprehensive dock redevelopment multi-use area, is within easy walking distance. The city's busy harbour operates alongside this area, offering a wide range of shopping, dining, and entertainment options, including markets, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and the popular Two Oceans Aquarium.
Courtesy of V& A website  
Young Surveyors

Nozipho Madlala, a LOC member (Senior Manager in the Training Division, Chairperson of the South African Young Surveyors Network, and Lead of the 2025 FIG Mentoring Programme for Africa), facilitated a visit to the South African National Geospatial Information agency to enable the Steering Committee to engage with geomatics students who are at the start of their 12-month work placement/internship. The students were working and enjoying a study day hosted by Optron (South Africa distributor).

Photo Optron hosting student working day at South African National Geospatial Information agency

Later this year, the conference website will be updated with more information https://www.fig.net/fig2026/index.htm .

There will be a special presentation during the FIG Working Week 2025 and General Assembly, with representatives available for questions and ideas.

A heartfelt thanks to the Steering Committee members - both those who had travelled to attend the meetings in person and to the local organising committee members who also attended. It was great to feel the spirit, see the city and experience the SC eagerness to organise this event.

We all welcome you to Cape Town, South Africa for the
FIG Congress 2026 on 24th – 28th May 2026

 

FIG President Diane Dumashie
February 2025