How to Find Your Erf's SG Diagram by Erf Number

Every registered erf in South Africa has an SG diagram sitting behind it. This is the official survey of your land, prepared by a professional land surveyor and lodged with the Surveyor General. It sets out your boundaries, your corner beacons (pegs), the length and bearing of each boundary line, the total extent of the erf, and any servitudes that cross it. If you know your erf number, you are most of the way to finding it. This guide shows you exactly how.

What you need to identify an erf

An erf number on its own is not unique across the country. There is an Erf 1 in dozens of towns. To pinpoint the right SG diagram, you usually need three pieces of information:

• Erf number — the registered number of the stand, for example "Erf 4521".
• Town or suburb — the township the erf falls in, such as Brackenfell or Centurion. This is what makes the erf number unique.
• Portion number — if the original erf was subdivided, your piece carries a portion number (for example "Portion 2 of Erf 4521"). If your erf was never subdivided, it is the "remaining extent" and there is no portion number to worry about.

You will find all three on your municipal rates account, your offer to purchase, or your title deed. The combination of erf number plus town plus portion points to exactly one surveyed property and exactly one set of SG diagrams.

Searching by erf number on SGCheck

Once you have those details, the search itself is quick:

• Open the free SGCheck search and choose the erf number option.
• Type in the erf number, then the town or suburb.
• Add the portion number if your property has one. If it does not, leave it as the main erf.
• Run the search. SGCheck shows you, for free, which SG diagrams exist for that property before you pay anything.

Erf properties like this are classified as "Urban". Farms and agricultural holdings are "Rural" and are searched the same way, using the farm name and portion rather than an erf number.

Only have an address? Let the map resolve the erf

You do not actually need the erf number to start. If all you have is a street address, search by address instead and let the tool do the work:

• Enter the street address and pick the property on the map.
• SGCheck resolves that pin to the underlying erf number and portion for you.
• You then see the same free list of available SG diagrams.

This is the easiest route for most buyers, who often have an address long before they have the erf details. The map removes the guesswork of matching a street name to a township and stand number.

What you get once you've found it

The free search confirms which diagrams are on record. To actually read them, you pay a single R230 fee and SGCheck retrieves and bundles every SG diagram on the property into one PDF you can download. That includes the original diagram and any later subdivision or consolidation diagrams that apply to your specific erf or portion.

One important note on flats and townhouses: sectional title properties are sourced manually on request rather than instantly, because their survey records (sectional plans) sit in a different part of the cadastral system to ordinary erven.

SG diagram versus title deed — don't confuse them

It is worth repeating, because people often arrive looking for the wrong document. The SG diagram is the survey of your land: where it is, how big it is, and where its boundaries run. It is not the ownership record. Who owns the property, what they paid, and whether there is a bond registered all live in the title deed at the Deeds Office — a completely separate document held in a separate office.

If what you actually want is ownership, transfer history, or bond information, the SG diagram won't tell you that. For those questions, head to DeedsCheck, our sister tool for searching the deeds registry. If you want your boundaries, beacons, extent and servitudes, you are in the right place.

Ready to look it up?

If you have your erf number, town and portion ready — or just a street address — you can confirm in seconds which diagrams exist for your property. Start with the free SGCheck search, see what is on record at no cost, and only pay the R230 fee if you want to download the diagrams.

Frequently asked questions

Can I find an SG diagram with only the erf number?

Not reliably on its own, because the same erf number repeats in many towns. Pair the erf number with the town or suburb, and add a portion number if your property was subdivided, and the search will point to the correct property.

What if I don't know my portion number?

If your erf was never subdivided there is no portion to enter — it is simply the main erf or remaining extent. If it was subdivided, the portion appears on your rates account or title deed, or you can search by address and let SGCheck resolve the portion from the map for you.

What does it cost to download the SG diagrams?

Searching to see which diagrams exist is free. To retrieve and download every SG diagram on the property as a single PDF, you pay one R230 fee.

Will the SG diagram show me who owns the property?

No. The SG diagram is the survey of the land — boundaries, beacons, extent and servitudes only. Ownership, transfers and bonds are held in the title deed at the Deeds Office, which you can look up on DeedsCheck instead.