EnvironmentalOpen for registration

Notice of environmental authorisation process, Portion 247 of the Farm Goed Geloof No. 745, St Francis Bay

Closes to be confirmed (SAST) · Environmental authorisation, competent authority and reference number not stated in the notice

Site photo 2 for Notice of environmental authorisation process, Portion 247 of the Farm Goed Geloof No. 745, St Francis Bay

The plain-language summary and the potential concerns on this page are prepared by ShapeSFB from the official documents. They are summaries, not official documents. The source documents are listed under Documents received below.

In short

A company, Cronzobix (Pty) Ltd, has started an environmental authorisation process for a proposed development on Portion 247 of the Farm Goed Geloof No. 745, St Francis Bay.
Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd has been appointed as the environmental assessment practitioner and has written to neighbouring landowners and occupiers.
The only document available at this stage is a one page notice asking neighbours whether they wish to be kept informed.
The notice does not say what the development is, how big it is, which authority will decide it, or what the reference number is.
No comment deadline is given, so residents who want a say should register their contact details now.

What is being proposed?

A company called Cronzobix (Pty) Ltd has begun an environmental authorisation process for a "proposed development" on Portion 247 of the Farm Goed Geloof No. 745, St Francis Bay (p. 1). An environmental authorisation is the permission a developer needs from government before certain kinds of listed activities may go ahead.

Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd has been appointed to carry out the environmental impact assessment and to make the application for environmental authorisation (p. 1). A firm or person in this role is called an environmental assessment practitioner, or EAP.

The document available at this stage is a single page headed "NOTICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORIZATION PROCESS: REQUEST FOR CONTACT DETAILS", dated 2026/09/04 (p. 1). It was sent to a landowner or occupier of a property next to Portion 247. Its stated purpose is to tell neighbours that the process has started, because the notice says that by law EAPs must notify all neighbouring landowners and occupiers about upcoming developments (p. 1). The notice explains that, because of the Protection of Personal Information Act, the EAP says it cannot legally obtain contact details from public databases or municipal records, so it is contacting neighbours directly (p. 1).

The notice asks each recipient to reply by email or WhatsApp choosing one of two options: Option 1, "Yes, please keep me informed", or Option 2, "No, I do not wish to receive updates", in both cases giving a name, address and email address or phone number (p. 1).

The notice does not describe the nature, scale or footprint of the proposed development beyond its location (p. 1). It includes a map showing Portion 247 as a dashed irregular parcel near St Francis Drive and E Drive, with surrounding smaller parcels and roads (p. 1). No competent authority, reference number, comment deadline or formal comment procedure is stated (p. 1).

Key terms in this application

Plain-language explanations of technical terms used here. See the full glossary.

EAP (Environmental Assessment Practitioner): The independent specialist who compiles the application. The independent professional appointed by the applicant to run the environmental assessment and public participation process and to compile the reports. The EAP must be objective, even though the applicant pays for the work.
EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment): The fuller assessment process for higher-impact activities. The more detailed assessment process (Scoping and Environmental Impact Reporting) used for larger or higher-impact activities. It usually runs in phases with more than one public comment period.
NEMA: National Environmental Management Act, 1998. South Africa's framework environmental law. It sets the principles and the process for environmental authorisation, including public participation and the right to comment before a decision is made.
I&AP (Interested and Affected Party): A person or body registered to take part in the process. Any person, group or organisation with an interest in, or that may be affected by, an application. Registering as an I&AP puts you on the process database, so you receive the reports, are notified of comment periods and the decision, and have standing to appeal.
Competent authority: The government body that decides the application. The authority empowered to decide the application. For most environmental authorisations in the Eastern Cape this is the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT).

Under the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (NEMA) and the EIA Regulations, 2014, an environmental assessment practitioner must notify neighbouring landowners and occupiers of a proposed development and give interested and affected parties an opportunity to take part.

The applicant is Cronzobix (Pty) Ltd, and the appointed environmental assessment practitioner is Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd (DSA). The practitioner has explained that, because of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), it cannot obtain residents' contact details from public or municipal databases, and is therefore inviting people to make contact directly so that they can be added to the register.

The notice identifies the site as Portion 247 of the Farm Goed Geloof No. 745, St Francis Bay, and shows the surrounding properties near St Francis Drive. It does not describe the proposed development, and no competent authority, reference number or comment deadline has been provided at this stage. The notice is dated 4 September 2026.

Your role

This is an early stage of an environmental authorisation process. Registering as an interested and affected party now is how you make sure you receive the reports when they are released and how you keep your right to comment before a decision is taken.

At this stage the notice asks only whether you wish to be kept informed. You may also use your reply to ask for information the notice does not give, such as what the development is, who the competent authority is, and what the reference number is.

If you do comment, keep it specific. Say who you are and how you are affected, refer to the document and page you are talking about, and set out the fact, question or requested condition clearly. Specific, evidence based comments carry more weight with a decision-maker than general statements of support or opposition.

ShapeSFB is politically neutral. We do not take a position for or against this proposal. If you make a submission through ShapeSFB, we forward it to the contact listed below and keep a record that it was sent.

Documents received

Official documents received from the EAP or the competent authority. Every project shows at least the public notice and the principal assessment or application document, where both have been received.

Photo Of Notification

Register your interest

2 people have registered so far.

This application is in its Interested and Affected Party (I&AP) registration phase. Register now to be placed on the database and notified the moment the comment period opens. You do not have to comment yet.

When you register, we send the formal request below to Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd (Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd, 45 Church Street, Walmer, 6070); Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd (Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd, 45 Church Street, Walmer, 6070) on your behalf, asking them to enter you on the register and keep you informed. You get a copy by email.

Preview the request that will be sent

Dear Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd (Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd, 45 Church Street, Walmer, 6070); Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd (Digital Soils Africa (Pty) Ltd, 45 Church Street, Walmer, 6070)

I hereby request that I be formally registered as an Interested and Affected Party for the following project:

Project: Notice of environmental authorisation process, Portion 247 of the Farm Goed Geloof No. 745, St Francis Bay
Reference number, if known: number

My details are:
Name: [your name]
Organisation and capacity, if applicable: [if you give one]
Email: [your email]

My interest in the application is as follows:
[what you write below]

Please:

Confirm in writing that I have been entered on the formal Interested and Affected Party register and that all future correspondence concerning this application will be sent to me.
Provide the full project and environmental-authorisation reference numbers, the identity of the applicant and the competent authority, and the current stage and status of the application.
Notify me of the final decision, provide access to the decision and its reasons, and advise me of the applicable appeal rights and timeframes.

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