GIS Courses
About our GIS Courses training
Perk Group Africa offers GIS and spatial analysis training on QGIS and open-source tooling for mapping, geoprocessing, cartography and web GIS. Course levels run from a beginner Introduction to Mapping using QGIS through Advanced Mapping & Spatial Analysis, GIS for WASH Programs, GIS for Disaster Risk Management, and Web-based GIS Mapping with Leaflet. Participants are GIS professionals, urban planners, WASH officers, DRM teams, researchers and field staff who need to turn geographic data into decisions — whether for humanitarian response, natural resource management, or infrastructure planning. Training is hands-on with real datasets and runs online plus in-person across Nairobi, Kigali, Mombasa, Lagos, Cape Town, Addis Ababa, Juba, Cairo and Dubai, with a Perk Group Africa certificate of completion issued at the end.
Training Course on Advanced Mapping and Spatial Analysis using QGIS
This course offers explores the advanced techniques and tools to enhance participants’ mapping skills and take full advantage of the capabilities of QGIS software. This course is designed for individu...
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Training Course on GIS for WASH Programs
This course offers will introduce participants to the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs. This course is designed for professionals a...
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Training Course on GIS in Disaster Risk Management
This GIS in Disaster Risk Management course will equip participants with the knowledge of the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in managing and mitigating disaster risks. This course is desi...
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Training Course on Introduction to Mapping using QGIS
The Introduction to Mapping using QGIS course offers a brief yet comprehensive exploration of the fundamental principles and practical skills required for creating maps and conducting spatial analysis...
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Training Course on Web-Based GIS Mapping
This course takes participants through the principles and techniques required to create interactive and dynamic web maps using QGIS software. This course is designed for individuals who want to harnes...
REGISTERGIS Courses — Key Concepts Explained
The definitions and frameworks our gis courses training is built on.
GIS — Geographic Information Systems — is technology that captures, stores, analyses and displays data tied to geographic locations. Layers of information (population, infrastructure, hazards, services, programme reach) are overlaid on maps to reveal spatial patterns invisible in tables. In development and humanitarian work, GIS supports needs assessment, target area selection, beneficiary mapping, monitoring of intervention coverage, disaster response planning, and donor-facing impact maps. Open-source QGIS and proprietary ArcGIS dominate the field; web-based platforms (KoboToolbox + maps, Mapbox, Google Earth Engine) have made GIS accessible to non-specialists.
QGIS is a free, open-source GIS software that has become the standard alternative to ArcGIS for NGOs, humanitarian agencies and academic researchers — particularly in Africa where licensing costs matter. It supports the full GIS workflow: data import (shapefiles, KML, raster), spatial analysis (buffers, overlays, joins), geoprocessing, cartography, and integration with Python for automation. The QGIS plugin ecosystem extends functionality for niche needs (humanitarian sector mapping, disaster risk modelling, terrain analysis). Most professional GIS roles in development now expect QGIS competency alongside or instead of ArcGIS.
Spatial analysis is the set of techniques used to identify patterns, relationships and trends in data that has a geographic dimension. It moves beyond pretty maps to answer questions: which areas have the highest unmet need? where do health facility gaps overlap with poverty? which populations are most exposed to flood risk? Techniques include proximity analysis (buffers, distances), overlay analysis (intersecting layers), interpolation (estimating values across an area), and hotspot detection. Spatial analysis turns geographic data into actionable evidence for programme design, donor advocacy and resource allocation.
GIS for disaster risk management uses spatial data and analysis to support all phases of the disaster cycle: prevention (hazard mapping, vulnerability analysis), preparedness (evacuation route planning, shelter location), response (damage assessment, resource deployment, situational awareness) and recovery (rebuilding prioritisation, livelihood restoration). The Sendai Framework explicitly calls for risk-informed decision-making, and most national disaster management agencies and humanitarian responders now run GIS as a core capability. Common platforms include QGIS, ArcGIS, OpenStreetMap-based tools, and disaster-specific systems like InaSAFE.
GIS for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) supports planning and monitoring of water point locations, sanitation coverage, latrine construction, hygiene-promotion reach, and disease outbreak risk. Spatial analysis identifies underserved villages, optimises borehole siting based on hydrogeology and population, tracks water-quality monitoring, and supports cholera outbreak response. The mWater platform, KoboToolbox with geo-fields, and OpenStreetMap-derived datasets are widely used in WASH programming, often combined with QGIS for analysis and visualisation. Donor-facing WASH reporting increasingly demands geo-referenced evidence of coverage.
Web-based GIS — sometimes called WebGIS or web mapping — embeds interactive maps in dashboards, websites and reports rather than confining them to desktop software. Tools include Mapbox, ArcGIS Online, Leaflet (open-source JavaScript), and Google Earth Engine. Web-based GIS lets stakeholders without GIS skills explore programme data, donors view real-time reach, and field staff collaborate around shared maps. The shift to web-based delivery reduces software licensing costs, supports mobile access, and enables embedding live data feeds into M&E dashboards.