Hamlet
< 1,000 people
Sparse cluster. Outsources almost everything to the nearest higher node.
Education
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Informal learning or shared schooling from nearest village. No formal structure required.
Ratio Benchmark
N/A at this tier — outsource to village
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure — awareness that learning exists
2 Basic function — books, informal instruction
3 Information — structured curriculum
4 Efficiency — qualified teachers, classrooms
5 Specialisation — labs, technology, research
Visibility Principle
Proximity — children must be able to reach education within reasonable distance via higher node.
Field Assessment
Health
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Basic medicine dispensary or community health worker. Access to clinic at nearest village node.
Ratio Benchmark
1 community health worker per hamlet cluster
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure — awareness that body is a mechanism, care exists
2 Basic function — medicine dispensing, first aid
3 Information — basic diagnosis, referral pathway
4 Efficiency — clinic with qualified staff
5 Specialisation — hospital, specialist units
Visibility Principle
Visibility — people must know where to go when sick. Proximity to higher node is the minimum.
Field Assessment
Security & Justice
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Community watch or neighbourhood safety structure. Police response from nearest station.
Ratio Benchmark
Police response accessible within 30–60 min from nearest station
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure — community knows how to report, who to call
2 Basic function — community watch, informal structures
3 Information — police post, response pathway clear
4 Efficiency — dedicated police station
5 Specialisation — courts, specialised units
Field Assessment
Commerce & Finance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Spaza / tuck shop or informal trade. Financial services accessed at nearest village or town.
Ratio Benchmark
1 informal trade point per 100–200 people
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure — awareness that financial systems exist, how to access them
2 Basic function — informal trade, barter, spaza
3 Information — ATM access, grant payment points
4 Efficiency — bank branch, formal retail
5 Specialisation — financial hub, investment services
Field Assessment
Governance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Traditional leadership or ward committee representation. Falls under a higher municipal jurisdiction.
Ratio Benchmark
Represented within a ward — 1 ward councillor per ward (typically 5,000–10,000 people)
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure — community knows who represents them
2 Basic function — ward committee, traditional council
3 Information — local municipality services accessible
4 Efficiency — municipal offices, service delivery
5 Specialisation — metro, provincial, national seat
Field Assessment
Village
1,000 – 10,000
First tier of self-sufficiency. Basic institutions must be present on-site.
Education
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
At least one primary school on-site. High school accessible within the village or nearby node.
Ratio Benchmark
1 teacher per 35–40 learners · 1 school per 500–800 school-age children
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure
2 Basic function — books, informal instruction
3 Information — structured curriculum, primary school
4 Efficiency — qualified teachers, classrooms, high school
5 Specialisation
Field Assessment
Health
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Clinic with at least basic diagnosis capability. Referral pathway to district hospital.
Ratio Benchmark
WHO: 1 doctor per 1,000 people · SA norm: 1 clinic per 3,000–5,000 people
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure
2 Basic function — medicine dispensing
3 Information — diagnosis, clear referral path
4 Efficiency — full clinic, 24hr access
5 Specialisation — hospital
Field Assessment
Security & Justice
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Police post or satellite station. Community policing forum active. Magistrate accessible at nearest town.
Ratio Benchmark
SA norm: 1 police officer per 350–400 people · response time under 30 min
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure
2 Basic — community watch
3 Information — police post, reporting pathway
4 Efficiency — dedicated station
5 Specialisation — courts, detectives
Field Assessment
Commerce & Finance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Spaza shops and informal market. ATM or grant payment point accessible. Formal banking at nearest town.
Ratio Benchmark
1 informal trade point per 150–200 people · ATM within 10km
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure
2 Basic — spaza, informal trade
3 Information — ATM, grant access, basic financial literacy
4 Efficiency — bank branch, formal retail
5 Specialisation — financial hub
Field Assessment
Governance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Ward committee active. Local municipality services (water, sanitation, roads) being delivered. Government grant access.
Ratio Benchmark
1 ward councillor per ward · municipal services within 5km
Quality Ladder — Expected Level
1 Exposure
2 Basic — traditional / ward representation
3 Information — municipal services accessible, community aware
4 Efficiency — municipal offices on-site
5 Specialisation — metro, provincial seat
Field Assessment
Small Town
10,000 – 50,000
Full basic institutional presence required. Hub for surrounding villages and hamlets.
Education
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Multiple primary schools, at least one high school on-site. FET/TVET college accessible.
Ratio Benchmark
1 teacher per 30–35 learners · 1 high school per 10,000–15,000 people
Quality Ladder
1–2 Exposure + Basic
3 Information — structured curriculum
4 Efficiency — qualified staff, full primary + high school
5 Specialisation — FET, university
Field Assessment
Health
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Community health centre with 24hr capability. District hospital within 30km.
Ratio Benchmark
1 doctor per 1,000–1,500 people · 1 CHC per 10,000–20,000 people
Quality Ladder
1–3 Exposure through Information
4 Efficiency — CHC, 24hr, basic surgery
5 Specialisation — district hospital
Field Assessment
Security & Justice
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Full police station on-site. Magistrate's court present or within 20km.
Ratio Benchmark
1 officer per 300–350 people · magistrate's court per 30,000–50,000 people
Quality Ladder
1–3 Exposure through Reporting pathway
4 Efficiency — dedicated station, CPF, magistrate
5 Specialisation — regional court, detectives
Field Assessment
Commerce & Finance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
At least one bank branch. Formal retail (chain store). Regular market. Formal employment base present.
Ratio Benchmark
1 bank branch per 10,000–15,000 people · formal employment rate >20%
Quality Ladder
1–3 Informal through ATM access
4 Efficiency — bank branch, formal retail
5 Specialisation — financial district
Field Assessment
Governance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Local municipality offices on-site. Basic service delivery (water, electricity, sanitation, roads) functional.
Ratio Benchmark
Municipal offices accessible within 5km · service delivery satisfaction above 50%
Quality Ladder
1–3 Exposure through accessible services
4 Efficiency — municipal offices, reliable service delivery
5 Specialisation — district seat
Field Assessment
Town
50,000 – 250,000
Full institutional presence. Secondary services required. District hub function begins.
Education
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Multiple primary + high schools. FET/TVET college on-site. University within corridor reach.
Ratio Benchmark
1 teacher per 28–32 learners · 1 FET college per 50,000–80,000 people
Quality Ladder
1–4 Through efficient schooling
5 Specialisation begins — FET, vocational, technical
Field Assessment
Health
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
District hospital on-site. Multiple clinics. Specialist visiting services. ICU capability.
Ratio Benchmark
1 doctor per 800–1,000 · 1 district hospital per 100,000–150,000 · 2.5 beds per 1,000 (SA)
Quality Ladder
1–4 Through 24hr clinic
5 District hospital, specialist visiting, ICU
Field Assessment
Security & Justice
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Multiple police stations. Regional magistrate's court. Detective capacity. Traffic department.
Ratio Benchmark
1 officer per 250–300 people · regional court per 100,000–200,000
Field Assessment
Commerce & Finance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Multiple banks, shopping mall or equivalent retail, formal industrial or commercial zone. Private sector employment base.
Ratio Benchmark
1 mall / commercial centre per 50,000–80,000 · formal employment >35%
Field Assessment
Governance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Local municipality with district oversight. Government departments present (Home Affairs, SASSA, SARS satellite). IDP active.
Ratio Benchmark
Full municipal council · government departments accessible within 10km
Field Assessment
City
250,000 – 2,000,000
Specialisation begins. Provincial-level institutions required. Hub identity forms.
Education
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
University on-site. Multiple FET colleges. Specialised schools (arts, science, technical). School network across suburbs and townships.
Ratio Benchmark
1 university per city · 1 teacher per 25–30 learners · 1 FET per 50,000
Field Assessment
Health
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Regional or provincial hospital. Multiple district hospitals. Specialist units (oncology, cardiology, maternity). Private hospital sector.
Ratio Benchmark
1 regional hospital per 500,000 · 3+ beds per 1,000 · specialist units present
Field Assessment
Security & Justice
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Multiple stations, provincial detective unit, High Court, specialised courts (labour, family), metro police where applicable.
Ratio Benchmark
High Court present · 1 officer per 200–250 · specialised units active
Field Assessment
Commerce & Finance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Commercial district. All major banks. Industrial zones. Stock exchange linkage or regional financial hub function. Airport or major transport node.
Ratio Benchmark
Formal employment >50% · commercial district present · logistics hub present
Field Assessment
Governance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Full municipal or metro government. Provincial government departments present. National department satellite offices.
Ratio Benchmark
City/metro council · all key departments on-site · own revenue base
Field Assessment
Metropolis
2,000,000+
Multi-hub convergence. National and continental reach. Nodes within nodes.
Education
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Multiple universities including research institutions. International school options. Specialised academies. Education hub function — draws students nationally or continentally.
Ratio Benchmark
3+ universities · research output measurable · international ranking achievable · 1 teacher per 22–28
Field Assessment
Health
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Provincial + academic hospitals. Full specialist range. Medical research. Private hospital networks. National referral destination for complex cases.
Ratio Benchmark
Academic hospital present · 4+ beds per 1,000 · all specialist fields covered · medical school attached
Field Assessment
Security & Justice
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
High Court. Constitutional Court (if national capital function). Metro police. All specialised units. National law enforcement coordination.
Ratio Benchmark
High Court minimum · Constitutional Court if applicable · 1 officer per 200 · all specialised units
Field Assessment
Commerce & Finance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Stock exchange or direct linkage. International business presence. Airport (international). Port or logistics mega-hub. Multiple commercial districts. Continental or global reach in at least one sector.
Ratio Benchmark
International airport · JSE / stock exchange linkage · multinational presence · formal employment >60%
Field Assessment
Governance
Pending
Minimum Standard
Minimum Presence
Metropolitan municipality. Provincial legislature. National departments fully present. Diplomatic presence if applicable. Own substantial revenue base.
Ratio Benchmark
Metro council · provincial legislature · national depts fully represented · diplomatic missions if applicable
Field Assessment
Service Qualification Matrix · Stage 2 Report
—
Qualification Results by Tier
Gap Summary
Matrix Reading
—
Service Qualification Matrix — Stage 2 of the Development Analysis Framework. Benchmarks drawn from WHO standards, South African national norms (DoH, DBE, SAPS), and working thresholds established by the framework. All benchmarks are field-adjustable. This report feeds directly into Stage 3: Hub Scoring Criteria.