Servitudes on an SG Diagram: How to Read Them

If you have ever looked at an SG diagram and noticed a thin strip or shaded line cutting across the property, you have probably found a servitude. Servitudes are one of the most useful pieces of information on a Surveyor General (SG) diagram, because they can quietly limit where you may build, dig or fence. Knowing how to read them before you buy or break ground can save you a great deal of money and frustration.

What a servitude actually is

A servitude is a registered right that allows someone other than the owner to use a defined part of a property for a specific purpose, or that restricts how the owner may use that part. The land still belongs to the registered owner, but a slice of it carries an obligation. Classic examples are a neighbour's right to drive across your driveway to reach their erf, or a municipality's right to keep a sewer pipe running under your back garden.

Because a servitude affects the survey of the land, it is drawn onto the SG diagram. The diagram is the cadastral survey of the property: its boundaries, corner beacons, boundary lengths and bearings, total extent and any servitudes crossing it. That makes the SG diagram the place to see exactly where a servitude sits and how big it is.

How servitudes appear on an SG diagram

On an SG diagram a servitude is usually shown as a separate strip or area inside the property boundary, drawn with its own measurements so the surveyor has defined it precisely. Look for these visual clues:

• A narrow strip or band running across part of the erf, often hatched, dashed or lettered differently from the main boundary lines.
• Its own dimensions — a width (for example 2 m or 3 m), boundary lengths and bearings, just like the main figure has.
• A label or note describing the purpose, such as "right of way", "pipeline servitude" or "servitude for municipal services".
• Reference letters or numbers tying the strip to a note elsewhere on the diagram that spells out the beneficiary and the purpose.

The key thing to take away is the position and width: the SG diagram tells you precisely where on the ground the servitude runs and how much of your land it touches.

Common types of servitude you will see

• Right of way — gives a neighbour or another party the right to cross your property, usually to reach a landlocked erf or a shared driveway.
• Municipal services — reserves a strip for water, sewer or stormwater infrastructure, so the council can access and maintain it.
• Pipeline servitude — protects a buried water, gas or fuel pipeline; building over it is normally prohibited.
• Electrical servitude — keeps a corridor clear for power lines or cables.
• Aqueduct or water — allows water to be led across the land, common on rural farm and agricultural holding properties.

Why servitudes matter to buyers and builders

A servitude can shape what you are allowed to do with your own land. If a 3 m municipal services strip runs along your boundary, you generally cannot build a garage, pool or extension over it, because the council needs access to its pipes. A right of way means another party is legally entitled to cross a portion of your erf, which affects privacy, fencing and where you can place a gate.

For a buyer, spotting a servitude early helps you ask the right questions before signing. For a builder or architect, the servitude position on the SG diagram is essential when placing structures, since plans approval will take the affected strip into account. Discovering a servitude only after pouring a foundation is an expensive surprise.

The diagram shows it — the deeds office records it

Here is an important distinction. The SG diagram shows you where a servitude is and how big it is, because that is a survey matter. The full registration detail — who exactly benefits from it, the conditions, the date it was registered and the deed reference — is an ownership and registration matter held in the deeds record, not on the survey diagram.

So if you have read the servitude off the SG diagram and now want the registered terms and conditions, that is a deeds question. For ownership, title deed and registered-servitude detail, hand yourself over to DeedsCheck. For the survey, boundaries and the physical position of the servitude on the ground, the SG diagram is what you want.

Check the SG diagram before you build

The simplest way to find out whether a servitude crosses a property is to look at its SG diagram. With SGCheck you can search a property by address on the map, or by erf number, town and portion, and see for free which SG diagrams exist. When you are ready, a single R230 fee retrieves and downloads every diagram on the property as a PDF, so you can read the boundaries, dimensions and any servitudes for yourself before you commit to a purchase or a plan. Sectional title properties such as flats and townhouses are sourced manually on request rather than instantly.

Frequently asked questions

Does a servitude always appear on the SG diagram?

A servitude that affects the survey of the property is drawn on the SG diagram with its own position and dimensions. The SG diagram is the best document for seeing exactly where a servitude runs and how wide it is across the land.

Can I build over a servitude shown on my SG diagram?

Usually not. A servitude reserves that strip for a specific purpose, such as municipal services or a pipeline, and building over it is generally prohibited because the beneficiary needs access. Always confirm with your local plans process before designing structures near the strip.

Where do I find the registered terms of a servitude?

The full registered detail of a servitude — the beneficiary, conditions and deed reference — is an ownership and registration matter held in the deeds record, not on the survey diagram. For that you would use a deeds search on DeedsCheck rather than the SG diagram.

How do I get the SG diagram to check for servitudes?

Search the property for free on SGCheck by address or by erf number, town and portion to see which diagrams exist. A single R230 fee then retrieves and downloads every SG diagram on the property as a PDF so you can read the boundaries and any servitudes.