The Power of Geospatial Intelligence: GIS-Enhanced Curriculum for Sustainable Planning and Socio-Economic Transformation in Northern Cape, South Africa
Tolulope Ayodeji Olatoye 
& Raymond Nkwenti Fru
Issue: Vol.6 No.13 Article 3 pp.41 – 54
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256133 | Published online 28th November, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The Northern Cape province of South Africa remains one of the most spatially marginalized and economically underdeveloped regions, plagued by low educational attainment, poor infrastructure, and unsustainable land use. This study investigates the transformative power of spatial intelligence through a GIS-enhanced curriculum aimed at fostering sustainable planning and socio-economic revitalization. Grounded in Place-Based Experiential Learning Pedagogical Framework, the research explored how geospatial technologies can be integrated into education to cultivate critical spatial reasoning, local agency, and sustainability-driven development. A systematic literature review methodology was employed to consolidate existing research on GIS in education, sustainable regional planning, and rural transformation. Scholarly databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC were queried using a structured keyword strategy, yielding 67 peer-reviewed sources. Findings reveal that GIS-integrated education enhances learners’ spatial awareness, problem-solving skills, and engagement with community development, but its effectiveness is hindered by digital divides, inadequate teacher training, and fragmented policy support. To harness its full potential, the study recommends the establishment of a state-of-the-art eco-tourism resort that leverages the province’s unique ecological and cultural heritage, and the development of an additional public university dedicated to Social Sciences, Medicine, Law, Engineering, Built Environment and Veterinary Sciences. Future research could develop localized, multilingual GIS modules co-designed with indigenous knowledge holders and educators to assess culturally responsive applications of spatial intelligence in curriculum development. This approach would help address epistemic inequities in knowledge production and contribute to decolonial pedagogies in geospatial education.
Keywords: Curriculum Development, Geographic Planning, Geo-Information Technologies, Spatial Intelligence, Socio-Economic Sustainability.
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Dr. Tolulope Ayodeji Olatoye is a Lecturer and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Geography at Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley, South Africa. He has a PhD degree in Geography Environmental Science from the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, and two Masters degrees in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geography respectively from Nigeria’s Premier University of Ibadan. Dr. Olatoye brings extensive research expertise in urban ecosystem conservation, coastal vegetation management, and sustainable forest practices. With over two decades of professional experience, Dr. Olatoye has held academic, research, and leadership roles.He has over 20 research publications in internationally accredited journals, book chapter publications and presented original research articles in over 20 international conferences. Recognized with scholarships and travel awards, he has contributed to high-impact projects and secured significant research grants such as the Andrew Mellon funded Project on Spatial Humanities and the NRF/NRF/DSI Global Change Programme of South Africa.
Dr. Raymond Nkwenti Fru is currently the Head of Department, Human Science Teaching at the Faculty of Education, Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley. South Africa. He is a Senior lecturer in History and Social Science Education. His research interest is in the area of school textbook analysis and other contentious and controversial discourses in History/Social Science Education.
Olatoye, Tolulope Ayodeji, and Raymond Nkwenti Fru.“The Power of Geospatial Intelligence: GIS-Enhanced Curriculum for Sustainable Planning and Socio-Economic Transformation in Northern Cape, South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 13 (2025): 41 – 54, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256133.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
