South Africa’s multi-billion-rand construction industry provides employment for over 475,000 people nationwide, with around one-third of these employees living in Cape Town.
The Mother City is home to an equally thriving construction sector, which contributes over R20 billion to the city’s economy each year. At a provincial level, the Western Cape construction industry is experiencing swift growth, with research from StatsSA from May 2022 revealing the province as the national leader in terms of total value of residential building plans passed and completed. Accounting for 34% .13 of the national total of building plans passed, compared to 29.8% in Gauteng, it also boasted 40% of the national share of buildings completed, compared to 31.3% in Gauteng. According to Christoff Vlok, Regional Account Manager at Builders, the Western Cape’s increase in residential activity is thanks to private investment in the residential sector. “The municipality continues to outperform other regions due to its ability to process building plans and complete building projects with little interruption,” he says. Mark Fugard, Senior Vice President of Master Builders Association Western Cape says that the Western Cape residential market has also benefitted from migration and semigration from other provinces. However, he adds that many of their members have found themselves in an overly competitive environment due to insufficient market opportunities. “The construction industry in the Western Cape requires an increase in investment from national and local government as well as continued support from the private sector to realise sustainable growth into the future.” In this vein, leading industry expo The Big 5 Construct Western Cape will bring together senior decision-makers from within province’s building and construction industries to unlock future opportunities for responsible and sustainable development. Organised by dmg events, which boasts over three decades of successful exhibitions on a global stage, the trade show will run at SunExhibits at GrandWest from 7-9 September 2022 and is free for all visitors to attend.“The Big 5 Construct Western Cape, previously known as the Cape Construction Expo, is the only event dedicated exclusively to the building and construction industry in and for the Western Cape. Leveraging the expertise of our highly successful The Big 5 construction exhibitions portfolio, we are proud to be able to deliver an unparalleled platform for professionals in the province to meet and engage with key buyers and other industry stakeholders, as well as build a network of local agents and distributors and/or contractors,” says Event Director Tracy-Lee Behr.
Featuring over 80 exhibitors, the event will showcase products and services from across the entire construction value chain, ranging from building interiors and finishes, materials and tools, green and smart construction, to concrete, windows, and plant, machinery, and vehicles. In addition, visitors can gain exclusive insights into the latest market trends and opportunities through a series of free CPD-accredited workshops and demonstrations aimed at both empowering small to medium contractors in the local built environment, and providing progressive learning focused on transformation, promotion, and regulation. The Talks series focuses on five key themes of architecture, concrete, contractors, green construction, and smart technology. Sessions include a Concrete Talk offering a world view of concrete presented by Anildo da Cruz Afonso from Fabrica de Cimento, gold sponsor of the expo, as well as a Contractor’s Talk by Deon Bester of Master Builders’ Association Western Cape on health and safety and how it relates to business owners in the construction industry. Tracy-Lee Behr, Portfolio Director: Built Environment at dmg events, says: “The Big 5 Construct Western Cape offers great unrivalled visibility for both buyers and sellers, as well as excellent networking opportunities with major players within the South African construction industry.” Registration for The Big 5 Construct Western Cape is now open. For more info or to register for a free visitor pass, please click here: https://bit.ly/3bZ0dlZ To enquire to exhibit or showcase your products and services, please contact sales@thebig5constructwesterncape.com
