Frequently Asked Questions

Not every project requires an Environmental Impact Assessment — it depends on whether your proposed activity is listed under the NEMA EIA Regulations (Government Notice R983, R984 or R985 of 2014), known as the Listing Notices.

If your activity appears in Listing Notice 1 or 3, a Basic Assessment (BA) is required. If it appears in Listing Notice 2, a full Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (S&EIR) is required. Some activities are exempt.

SSK Consulting offers a free initial consultation to screen your project against the listed activities. You can also use our free EIA Compliance Checker tool.

The timeline depends on which process track applies:

• Basic Assessment (BA): 107 statutory days from application acceptance — typically 4 to 8 months in practice.
• Scoping and EIR (S&EIR): 300+ statutory days — typically 18 to 36 months in practice depending on complexity.

Common causes of delays include incomplete applications, specialist study availability, public participation disputes and requests for further information. Read our full guide: How Long Does an EIA Take in South Africa?

These are the two process tracks for environmental authorisation under NEMA:

• Basic Assessment (BA): A simpler, shorter process for lower-impact listed activities (GN R983 and R985). Typically takes 4 to 8 months.
• Scoping and Environmental Impact Report (S&EIR): A more rigorous process for higher-impact activities (GN R984). Typically takes 18 to 36 months.

The activity listed in the Listing Notices determines which track applies — you cannot choose. SSK Consulting will confirm which process your project requires during the initial consultation.

An Environmental Authorisation (EA) is the legal approval issued by a competent authority (the DFFE or a provincial environmental department) that permits you to proceed with a listed activity. Without it, commencing the activity is a criminal offence under NEMA.

To obtain an EA you need to appoint a registered EAP, screen your activity, follow the applicable process track, complete public participation and specialist studies, and submit to the competent authority.

SSK Consulting manages the entire process from screening through to receipt of the Environmental Authorisation.

Commencing a listed activity without an Environmental Authorisation is a criminal offence under Section 24F of NEMA. Penalties include fines, imprisonment and an order to rehabilitate the environment at your own cost.

If you have already commenced without authorisation, a Section 24G rectification application may be available. SSK Consulting handles these applications — contact us as soon as possible if you find yourself in this situation.

SSK Consulting provides a full range of environmental, agricultural and geospatial consulting services including:

• Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) — Basic Assessment and Scoping & EIR
• NEMA Environmental Authorisation applications
• Section 24G rectification applications
• Environmental Management Programmes (EMPr) and compliance monitoring
• Water Use Licence Applications (WULA) under the National Water Act
• ESG and sustainability reporting (CRISA, JSE, King IV, TCFD)
• Biodiversity assessments and SANBI-aligned offset strategies
• Air quality impact assessments and atmospheric emissions licences (AEL)
• Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) under the NHRA
• GIS spatial analysis, UAV drone surveys and photogrammetry
• Agricultural land capability assessments and advisory

View our full Services page for more detail.

• Mining — prospecting, mining rights, mine closure, MPRDA compliance
• Renewable energy — solar PV, wind, battery storage, REIPPPP projects
• Infrastructure — roads, pipelines, transmission lines, bridges
• Property development — residential, commercial, mixed-use developments
• Agriculture — irrigation, land clearing, agribusiness development
• Government and municipalities — public infrastructure and waste management
• Industrial — manufacturing, processing plants, waste facilities

Yes — SSK Consulting operates from two offices:

• Gauteng office: Serving Johannesburg, Pretoria and the broader Gauteng region
• KwaZulu-Natal office: Based in Pietermaritzburg, serving Durban and the broader KZN region

We also work nationally across all nine provinces. Contact us on 063 027 2753 or at [email protected].

Yes — SSK Consulting’s environmental team consists of registered Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs) registered with EAPASA, as required by Section 24H of NEMA.

We are also registered with SACNASP, IAIA SA and SAGC. Working with registered EAPs is a legal requirement for EIA applications submitted to the DFFE and provincial competent authorities.

EIA costs vary significantly depending on the process track and complexity. As a general guide:

• Basic Assessment: R80,000 to R350,000+ depending on complexity and specialist study requirements
• Scoping and EIR: R350,000 to R2,000,000+ for complex projects requiring multiple specialist studies

Specialist studies (heritage, air quality, biodiversity, social impact etc.) are additional costs. SSK Consulting provides detailed, transparent fee proposals following the free initial consultation.

Water Use Licence Applications (WULA) have a statutory processing period of 90 days from acceptance of a complete application. In practice, DWS backlogs of 12 to 36 months are common for complex applications.

SSK Consulting prepares thorough, complete WULA submissions to maximise first-time acceptance and minimise delays.

Yes — SSK Consulting offers a free initial consultation for all new project enquiries. We will review your project, screen against NEMA Listing Notices, identify the applicable process track and provide an indicative timeline and budget.

Contact us via the Contact page, email [email protected], call 063 027 2753 or WhatsApp us.

NEMA stands for the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998). It is South Africa’s principal environmental legislation governing environmental impact assessments, environmental authorisations, compliance and enforcement.

Key provisions relevant to development projects include Section 24 (environmental authorisation for listed activities), Section 24G (rectification of unlawful activities) and Section 24H (registration of EAPs).

Access the full NEMA text via our Legislation Library.

Listed activities are specific activities that may not commence without environmental authorisation. They are published in three Listing Notices:

• Listing Notice 1 (GN R983): Activities requiring a Basic Assessment
• Listing Notice 2 (GN R984): Activities requiring a full Scoping and EIR
• Listing Notice 3 (GN R985): Activities in sensitive geographical areas

Use our free EIA Compliance Checker or NEMA Listed Activities Lookup to check your activity.

Section 24G provides a mechanism to regularise activities commenced without the required Environmental Authorisation — commonly called a “rectification application.”

A Section 24G application is more complex and costly than a standard EIA — it requires a full assessment of impacts already caused, a remediation plan and payment of an administrative fine. It is not a guaranteed approval.

Contact SSK Consulting immediately if you have commenced a listed activity without authorisation.

An Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) is a detailed management plan forming part of the Environmental Authorisation. It sets out mitigation measures, monitoring requirements and reporting obligations for construction, operation and decommissioning phases.

Non-compliance with EMPr conditions is an offence under NEMA. SSK Consulting prepares EMPrs and provides Environmental Control Officer (ECO) services to monitor compliance throughout the project lifecycle.

These are separate pieces of legislation that often both apply to the same project:

• NEMA governs environmental authorisation for listed activities — administered by DFFE or provincial departments.
• National Water Act (NWA) governs water resource use — administered by DWS. Activities affecting water resources require a Water Use Licence (WUL) from DWS in addition to any NEMA authorisation.

Many projects require both. SSK Consulting manages both processes concurrently to minimise overall timelines.

• Step 1: Contact us via Contact page, email [email protected], call 063 027 2753 or WhatsApp.
• Step 2: Free initial consultation — in person, by phone or video call.
• Step 3: We screen your project, confirm requirements and provide a detailed fee proposal.
• Step 4: Once appointed, we manage the entire process on your behalf.

The earlier you engage an EAP in your planning process the better — authorisation timelines must be factored into your project programme from the start.

For the initial consultation, useful information includes:

• Description of the proposed activity or development
• Location of the project (GPS coordinates or site address)
• Approximate scale or size of the project
• Any site plans, maps or design drawings available
• Proposed timeline for the project
• Any previous environmental studies conducted on the site

Don’t worry if you don’t have everything — our EAPs will guide you through what is needed.

SSK Consulting works nationally across all nine provinces. Our primary offices are in Gauteng (Johannesburg and Pretoria) and KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg and Durban), but we have delivered projects in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West.

Yes — while statutory EIA timeframes cannot be shortened, experienced EAPs can significantly streamline the process through thorough pre-application preparation, early specialist study commissioning, proactive authority engagement and parallel processing of related authorisations.

Contact us as early as possible — the sooner we are involved, the more we can do to help you meet your programme.