Amadiba people in South Africa map what matters to fight unwanted development
The Amadiba communities in South Africa’s Mpondoland region have developed counter-maps to document their sustainable livelihoods and cultural heritage. This initiative supports their legal and social fight against mining and oil exploration projects threatening their ancestral lands.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1)
South Africa’s Amadiba communities in Mpondoland have created activist counter-maps to defend their ancestral lands against mining and oil exploration projects.
Located on the east coast, the Amadiba people have sustainably lived as farmers, herders, and fishers for centuries. They have opposed companies like Shell and Impact Africa, who planned offshore oil and gas exploration in the region.
In August 2026, South Africa’s highest court ruled in favor of the Amadiba communities, halting exploration due to inadequate consultation on environmental impacts.
Since 2007, the Amadiba Crisis Committee has fought titanium mining and a proposed coastal toll road threatening their villages. Partnering with human and physical geographers, they launched the “Maps Are Now Our Spears” project, enabling elders, adults, and youth from six villages to collaboratively document key natural, cultural, and economic sites using GPS technology.
The resulting maps highlight the communities’ prosperous environment and sustainable practices, contradicting official plans that misrepresent the area as impoverished and environmentally harmful.