Construction industry stakeholders, including cement producer PPC and Master Builders South Africa (MBSA), are engaging with the Department of Trade and Industry and Competition (dtic) on the development of a construction industry master plan.

PPC Southern Africa MD Njombo Lekula said the proposed construction master plan would be similar to the South African Automotive Masterplan and South African Steel and Metal Fabrication Masterplan.

Lekula said the discussion about a construction industry master plan started when the industry engaged with Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, head of the investment and infrastructure office in the presidency, and informed him that cement needed to be designated.

Ramokgopa in July 2020 unveiled 50 Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) and 12 special projects – involving a total investment of R360 billion – as the first tranche of a massive infrastructure expenditure programme to drive the post Covid-19 economic recovery effort.

The 2021 Budget Review released in February further revealed that the government has a programme to invest R791.2 billion in infrastructure over the next three years.

“What is delighting is that when we started proposing the masterplan, Minister [Ebrahim] Patel was very amicable to it and wanted to understand it and how we are going to support the country.

“There is a lot more understanding of what it means in terms of this economy but as to when that is going to happen is something that we are continuously working on,” he said.