The construction sector can lead South Africa’s recovery as the country emerges into a post-Covid 19 economy, but only if emerging contractors are empowered.

According to the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb), Bongani Dladla, this was the consensus among participants at a recent seminar on the state of the industry hosted by the cidb.

The seminar, attended by more than 700 participants, underscored the role played by the cidb in facilitating the exchange of ideas and opinions which will lead to the transformation of the construction industry.

In addition to its primary mandate to promote the contribution of the construction industry to South Africa’s economy and society, the cidb also provides a platform where participants in the sector can share research on trends within the sector and relate best practices.

There were concerns about the sharp decrease in construction activity following the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. This was especially felt within the public sector where the cidb plays a critical role to ensure efficient and effective infrastructure delivery.

However, there is also significant room for optimism. Investment in infrastructure is a key component of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The plan calls for “aggressive infrastructure investment” with a strong emphasis on localisation, job creation, and streamlining of the regulatory framework.

At the recent Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium – SIDSSA 2021 – details were announced of a pipeline of 55 projects with a project value of R595bn. This can create an estimated 583 500 direct and indirect jobs.

Dladla revealed that participants at the cidb seminar expressed strong views that emerging contractors should benefit fully from the pending upswing in building activity and that opportunities should be created in which they can improve their grading and become increasingly eligible for major projects.

“Concurrently, the public sector must significantly improve its capacity to manage infrastructure projects under its control and address long-standing concerns within the industry about delays in the awarding of contracts, delays in the implementation of projects and late payments to contractors,” said Dladla.

Dladla says there are also strong voices speaking out about endemic corruption and the activities of the so-called ‘construction mafia’ which are delaying vital projects, destroying assets, and threatening the lives of contractors and their workers.

One of the participants at the seminar, Gregory Mofokeng, the CEO of the Black Business Council in the Built Environment, emphasised the role construction can play in the reindustrialisation of the economy.

This can be done through the implementation of localisation programmes where local building materials are used, local expertise is utilised, and local jobs are created.

Technology development

The introduction of technology-driven solutions brought on by the 4th Industrial Revolution will also bring about profound changes to the sector, says Dladla.

“Construction 4.0 – the integration of 4IR advances into the industry – will revolutionise processes across the entire spectrum of activities. Some of these innovations are already being deployed with great success in the South African industry.”

Already, many emerging local contractors are embracing new technologies and strengthening their positions within the construction value chain.

It is important that the local construction sector should be empowered to benefit from the expected upswing in the post-Covid economy. 

Dladla concluded by saying that the seminar, which will become an annual event, again showed that the cidb is well-placed to play a catalytic role to lead industry stakeholders in construction development.

“We will be a vital element in the re-emergence of a transformed construction industry that provides the physical infrastructure that makes up the backbone of our country’s economic activity.”