It is very tempting to use someone who has a basic knowledge of drawing plans – like your cousin’s friend who completed one year of architecture at uni or tech, because it is so much cheaper. But the ultimate cost of not using a professional person (an architect or draughtsperson) who can “walk” the plans through from concept to council for submission and ultimately obtain that final approval can be a costly mistake.
The National building regulations and Building Standards Act, clearly state that all structures, beards new; additions; alterations require local authority approval. It is advised that you do employ a draftsman if you want the job done right. If at any point you need planning permission, you NEED a SACAP (the South African Council for Architectural Professionals) registered Architectural Draftsman Or Architect!
Without an Architectural Draftsman you are putting your hands in a builder whose judgement and vision is one you’ll need to trust, if this is the case then an Architectural Draftsman is less necessary.