An imaginative programme to accelerate transformation in the construction industry, increase the capacity of the construction industry to deliver infrastructure and support the growth of emerging contractors, was today launched by the Deputy Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Ms Bernice Swarts and the Construction Industry Development Board.

“The B.U.I.L.D. Programme is a major step forward to create development opportunities for people and enterprises in the construction sector and to enable emerging contractors to grow their businesses,” says Deputy Minister Swarts. “Investment in infrastructure is a prominent feature of our economy as we expand services to the people. B.U.I.L.D. will ensure that social development goals are achieved through construction tenders issued by government,” she says.

“It will contribute meaningfully to achieve national priorities such as skills development, enterprise development, job creation and a healthier and safer construction sector.” B.U.I.L.D. gives the green light to national departments and public entities to build social development goals into infrastructure projects above R20 million, when calling for tenders.

It also creates a national fund for implementation of development initiatives to grow delivery capacity in construction. It determines that contractors awarded projects over R20m in value will have to contribute at least 5% of the project value towards developing people and enterprises, says Bongani Dladla, the CEO of the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb).

“Through this fund we are uplifting the entire construction industry through investments in skills development and the wider participation of emerging
contractors, including women and the youth,” he says. The cidb is already supporting emerging enterprises, including women-owned contractors to obtain certification to construction management systems, to run sustainable businesses. And to be recognised to an industry-wide competence standard.

Details of the BUILD Programme were published in a Government Gazette in 2020 and B.U.I.L.D. has gradually been phased in at various levels of government and the private sector. The cidb, a public entity with the mandate to promote improved performance in construction, oversees the programme and manages the B.U.I.L.D Fund.

The B.U.I.L.D programme determines that public sector entities which implement construction projects must include developmental goals to the deliverables defined in the tenders. Contractors are required to include these goals in the plans and pricing when they submit their tender bids.

Deputy Minister Swarts says B.U.I.L.D. will help to rebuild the construction sector in an inclusive manner and ensure higher levels of participation by emerging contractors into the major projects that flow from Government’s investments in infrastructure. It provides a clear framework for the private sector to ensure their participation ininfrastructure projects contribute to the broader national priorities. The cidb already supports emerging enterprises who want to participate in future infrastructure projects and B.U.I.L.D. will further facilitate this process.

“Through B.U.I.L.D we are addressing some of the fundamental stumbling blocks that inhibit the meaningful participation of small and emerging entrepreneurs. Their potential is often stifled by lack of access to finance and credit as well a shortage of opportunities for vocational and management training,” says Dladla. Government has a primary role to remove these obstacles through its procurement processes and through dedicated delivery programmes designed to support the participation of emerging contractors.

The programme sets prescribed minimum standards for project contributions to social development and introduces standard measurements of reporting and accountability for the public and private sector clients. The cidb will collect the individual project contributions towards the B.U.I.L.D. Fund and act as the implementing agency for the allocation of money to the development initiatives that will be supported. Clients must register their contracts and report their contributions to the fund through the cidb’s Register of Projects. The Deputy Minister says Government is investing highly in infrastructure. Construction must be the leading contributor to job creation and skills development as the economy grows.

“Through the B.U.I.L.D. programme we will further strengthen the growth of a world class construction sector that will play a vital role in infrastructure provision in future,” she says.