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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat do you love about your town? In Piketberg, Senekal and Modimolle, this simple question opened the door to a deeper conversation about the future.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Regeneration doesn\u2019t begin with fixing potholes or planning new buildings. It begins with something quieter, but more powerful: a shared sense of direction. In the Small-Town Regeneration Strategy (STR), that direction starts with visioning. Not the abstract kind, but something rooted in people\u2019s real hopes and day-to-day experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phase 2 of the STR asks: before we start mapping assets or prioritising projects, can we first understand where the community wants to go\u2014and why?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A community vision<\/strong> is not a corporate slogan. It\u2019s a clear, honest reflection of what residents value and where they want to take their town. It offers a picture of the future that includes physical improvements, but also relationships, daily rhythms, and a shared sense of pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good vision does four things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It\u2019s less about solving every problem and more about naming what matters most. When that\u2019s clear, the rest has something to stand on.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Developing a vision isn\u2019t a technical exercise; it\u2019s a social and participatory one. In the STR, towns use a mix of visioning workshops<\/strong>, one-on-one interviews, and community mapping to gather ideas and insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the most common questions used in these sessions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants share, vote, and reflect. Responses are then summarised into a vision statement<\/strong> supported by community goals and principles. This statement doesn\u2019t need to be long. But it needs to feel true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Communities are made up of many layers, and so the process must reflect that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Broad-based tools<\/strong> (like online surveys or open visioning events) help reach the wider public. In Piketberg, for example, the CTT hosted smaller, informal gatherings alongside larger meetings. During one of the early sessions, it became clear that some of the older residents didn\u2019t feel heard<\/strong> in the broader workshops. In response, the team hosted a dedicated session for the Seasoned Crew. The conversation surfaced long-held memories and quiet concerns that might otherwise have been missed, reminding everyone that inclusion isn\u2019t just about who is invited, but how comfortable they feel to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Visioning isn\u2019t a one-team effort. It\u2019s meant to bring together both the technical and the community voices, the Municipal Task Team (MTT)<\/strong> and the Community Task Team (CTT)<\/strong>. When that collaboration is missing, the gap shows quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The MTT<\/strong> is responsible for the planning and logistics: setting the dates, booking the venues, managing the process, and ensuring that the work fits into broader municipal planning frameworks. They keep the system side of things running smoothly and ensure that what comes out of the session can be taken forward institutionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CTT<\/strong> makes sure the room is filled with the right people, not just the usual voices, but a wide range of residents who live the reality of the town every day. They help mobilise networks, create a welcoming environment, and facilitate small group conversations that allow people to speak freely and honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the MTT compiles inputs and prepares reports, the CTT helps make sense of what\u2019s said, interpreting priorities, surfacing patterns, and ensuring the process reflects lived realities. One holds the technical thread, the other the relational one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Senekal, the MTT wasn\u2019t present during visioning at all. While the CTT managed the process, the absence of municipal voices meant that the work wasn\u2019t aligned with formal planning or implementation pathways. That experience reminded us: participation without connection is not enough.<\/em> Regeneration requires a shared direction and shared ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Modimolle<\/strong>, we took a different approach. From the outset, the MTT and CTT sat together in a joint session. But instead of jumping straight into drafting a vision, we deliberately held back. We wanted them to experience what happens when there\u2019s no shared direction. What surfaced was frustration, competing priorities, and a sense of being stuck. Only then did we move toward visioning, this time together. That shift made a visible difference in how the teams related, listened, and aligned their efforts going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCollaboration isn\u2019t something you check off. It\u2019s something you build and it starts with agreeing on where you\u2019re trying to go.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n When done well, visioning doesn\u2019t just set a direction for the town. It lays the groundwork for how people work together along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A visioning exercise delivers more than a document. It offers a direction that feels like it belongs<\/strong> to the people who live there. Typical outcomes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sample Vision: And this vision doesn\u2019t sit in a report. It becomes the anchor for projects, budget decisions, and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udcac Points to Ponder<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Modimolle<\/strong>, participants used sticky notes to write down what they wanted for the town. Among the most common words? \u201cSafety,\u201d \u201cclean,\u201d and \u201cjobs.\u201d These simple terms pointed to deeper aspirations, stability, dignity, and hope. The team used them as anchors for the vision, which later shaped how the town prioritised public space improvements and small business support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Piketberg<\/strong>, early workshops revealed a strong sense of place and a desire to see the town\u2019s potential unlocked. But what stood out most was a recurring concern: young people lacked meaningful opportunities. As visioning unfolded, the community began to prioritise skills development<\/strong>, not as a side project, but as a core part of their future. That focus would go on to shape later project selection and partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Senekal<\/strong>, visioning proved more complex. At first, conversations circled mostly around frustrations with service delivery. But when the process slowed down and residents were invited to reflect more personally, new themes emerged, like a desire for connection, and pride in the town\u2019s natural landscape. These softer insights helped reframe the town\u2019s identity and opened the door to more grounded planning later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Regeneration is not just about what\u2019s built. It\u2019s about what\u2019s believed. When a town has a shared vision crafted by its own people, it gains something deeper than strategy. It gains a compass. Starting with a vision grounds the regeneration process in a shared belief expressed through vision. When a community defines where it wants to go, every plan and project that follows has something solid to stand on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And in this work, that makes all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A strong vision doesn\u2019t just describe the future\u2014it invites people to build it together.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n STR Implementing Agent: CITEPLAN (Pty) Ltd<\/strong><\/em> | Technical Manager: Istell Orton-Nightingale at istell@citeplan.net<\/a> or Communication Contact: Eriva Nanyonjo at eriva@citeplan.net<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Visioning Comes First: Setting Direction That Belongs to the Whole Town<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>What Is a Community Vision?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How Is a Vision Created?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\ufe0fWhat Methods Are Used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Targeted engagements<\/strong>, like interviews with youth, small business owners, and senior citizens, ensure that quieter or underrepresented voices are also part of the process.
Deliberative workshops<\/strong> provide a space where these voices can be brought together to find common ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWho Makes It Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
MTT (Municipal Task Team)<\/strong><\/th> CTT (Community Task Team)<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Plans and organises the session<\/td> Mobilises participation and invites local voices<\/td><\/tr> Manages logistics and stakeholder coordination<\/td> Facilitates small group conversations<\/td><\/tr> Compiles input and produces reports<\/td> Helps interpret and prioritise feedback<\/td><\/tr> Ensures institutional alignment<\/td> Ensures inclusivity and representation<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \n
What Comes Out of the Process?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWe see a thriving, inclusive town where everyone has access to opportunity, where our natural and cultural heritage is protected, and where people work together with pride and purpose.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/citeplan.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Vision-Point-to-Ponder_2.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n
What We\u2019ve Seen on the Ground<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Practical Tips for Visioning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat We’re Learning as We Go <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why This Step Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For More Information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Project Sponsor: Department of Cooperative Governance<\/em><\/strong> | Project Manager: Prabin Govender at prabing@cogta.gov.za<\/a> or Communication Contact: Moferefere Moloi at mofereferem@cogta.gov.za<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n