The conclusion of the 2025/26 audit marks another important point of refection milestone for the Council for the Built Environment (CBE). While the audit provides an important assessment of our governance and financial management, it also offers an opportunity to reflect on the significant progress the organization has made in advancing public protection, professionalization, and transformation across South Africa’s built environment.

The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) notes the Auditor-General’s audit outcome for the 2025/26 financial year and reaffirms its commitment to sound governance, accountability, and public sector excellence.

For the previous four financial years (2021/22–2024/25), the CBE consistently achieved clean audit opinions from the Auditor-General while delivering 100% of its planned performance targets. This record reflects the organization’s longstanding commitment to sound governance, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public resources.

For the 2025/26 financial year, the Auditor-General issued the CBE an unqualified audit opinion with findings. While this represents a departure from our previous clean audit outcomes, it remains an affirmation that the financial statements are fairly presented. This means the CBE’s financial statements were fairly presented, although certain matters require management attention and corrective action before the organisation can restore its clean audit status.

The CBE accepts these findings with openness and accountability. We recognize that strong institutions continuously improve, and we are already implementing a comprehensive audit improvement plan to strengthen financial controls, enhance quality assurance processes, and address the matters identified by the Auditor-General. These actions are aimed at restoring the organization’s clean audit status while reinforcing a culture of continuous improvement.

Importantly, the audit reaffirmed the integrity of the CBE’s performance reporting. The Auditor-General raised no material findings on the completeness or reliability of the organization’s reported performance information, and the CBE achieved 96% of its planned performance targets during the financial year. This demonstrates that, despite a challenging operating environment, the organization continued to deliver meaningfully on its legislative mandate.

During the year under review, Over the period, the CBE has recorded significant strategic progress for the built environment sector. Among the key achievements are:

1. The implementation of the Built Environment Forums to strengthen sector collaboration and strategic dialogue.
2. The launch of the National Built Environment Logbook to improve sector intelligence and transparency.
3. The completion of the Built Environment Professionalization and Capacity Building Strategy, providing a roadmap for strengthening technical capacity within the public sector.
4. The successful hosting of Climate Change Indabas across eThekwini, Mandeni, and Vhembe District, advancing climate resilience within the built environment.
5. The Built Environment Recognition Awards, recognizing more than 10,000 newly registered professionals and celebrating professional excellence.
6. The successful convening of the Public Works and Infrastructure Summit, bringing together government, industry, and professional bodies to strengthen infrastructure delivery and public confidence.
7. The launch of the National Built Environment and Construction Safety Framework and the initiation of the Public Infrastructure Confidence Index, reinforcing the CBE’s growing leadership in public protection and infrastructure governance.
8. Continued progress on national building collapse investigations to strengthen accountability and improve regulatory oversight.
9. The development and sector-wide consultation on the Draft CBE Amendment Bill and Public Safety Regulations, laying the foundation for a stronger and more modern regulatory framework which will be gazetted for public comments in the coming weeks.
10. Continued implementation of the Professionalization of the Built Environment Programme, supporting the development of a capable, ethical, and professionally registered public-sector technical workforce.

These achievements demonstrate that the CBE continues to evolve into a stronger, more responsive institution that delivers tangible value to government, the professions, and the communities it ultimately serves.

Looking ahead, the organisation remains firmly focused on strengthening governance, maintaining public confidence, and delivering on its mandate of protecting the public through a transformed, professional and capable built environment sector. The lessons from this audit will inform further improvements, while the strategic momentum achieved during the year provides a strong platform for continued progress.

The CBE extends its sincere appreciation to the Executive Authority, Council members, management, employees, the Auditor-General of South Africa, the Built Environment Professional Councils, and all stakeholders whose continued support contributes to strengthening governance and advancing excellence within South Africa’s built environment.