Rob Wooding & Associates was formed in 1986 out of the survey firm Wooding, Ruxton & Associates which specialized in precision geodetic and engineering surveys and was responsible for the original backbone surveys for many of the major engineering projects now seen in Southern Africa.

A comprehensive suite of civil engineering, digital terrain modeling and surveying software was written for the firms internal use in the period from 1981 to 1986 and some 1000 copies were sold. Clients ranged from large Municipalities and Government Departments to small one man firms and ultimately included the majority of consulting civil engineers in South Africa. During this period a certain amount of survey, consulting and mapping continued and an active research programme was maintained. In 1994 the software business was sold in order to concentrate on the newly developing opportunities of aerial mapping by fully digital means.

The firm purchased the second fully digital mapping system in the sub continent (after Anglo American) and deployed it to introduce digital orthophoto mapping and it's associated by-products to the local agricultural and telecommunication industries. A policy was adopted of not just providing mapping and data but also actively assisting clients to fully leverage the power and cost benefits associated with this technology. This has seen a steady growth and full order book with many repeat appointments.

In 2002 the firm acquired the Air Survey Company of Africa. Established in 1948, the Air Survey company is the oldest surviving photogrammetric company in Africa and it's acquisition brings together a unique combination of skills, resources and experience that no other organization on the continent can match. Combined annual turnover of the two firms is expected to be in the order of R10 million.

Infrastructure.

The firm has it's own support resources in terms of GPS equipment, four wheel drive vehicles, SGI and PC workstations, a variety of technical software licenses, large format plotters, photogrammetric scanners, precision digital and mapping cameras and aircraft. In 2001 the firm purchased an Applanix IMU in order to eliminate the need for costly ground control surveys on it's mapping projects. This was the first such unit in Africa. Fifteen full time personnel are employed. The office premises are fully owned and a substantial archive of saleable digital imagery is maintained for much of which the firm has sole copyright.

The acquisition of Air Survey Company has added a further two aircraft and cameras, a photo laboratory and twelve personnel who bring with them a depth of experience in traditional line mapping that had been lacking in Rob Wooding & Associates.