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Construction tech startups are poised to shake up a $1.3-trillion-dollar industry
In the wake of COVID-19 this spring, construction sites across the nation emptied out alongside neighboring restaurants, retail stores, offices and other commercial establishments. Debates ensued over whether the construction industry’s seven million employees should be considered “essential,” while regulations continued to shift on the operation of job sites. Meanwhile, project demand steadily shrank. Amidst the […]

A sustainable future: Green buildings are key to reducing energy consumption
Construction is a key sector to address South Africa’s housing shortage and infrastructure needs, and thus is unlikely to slow down. The sector is also at the forefront of economic recovery plans as it has the double advantage of being labour-intensive with a knock-on effect on many industry sectors in its supply chain. As a […]

The Opportunity Quadrant: Four Parts to Industry 4.0 Success
Many manufacturers are entering Industry 4.0 with technology systems and business processes better suited for a bygone era. Today, Industry 4.0 is forcing manufacturers to take a comprehensive look at how their operations are equipped to address today’s top challenges, including the talent shortage, inefficient business processes, supply chain complexity, asset management, and meeting customer […]

The cost of city survival – collaboration!
This year, World Cities day is about ‘valuing our communities and cities’ – and many can agree that the message comes at such a critical time. Cities form an important part of the global economy and serve as the engines of development for most nations and as economies rebuild, focusing on urban city sustainability will […]

PPC and CHC-SA PrimX Jointless Flooring propelling SA construction forward
Advancing Africa’s construction sector in uncertain times Focused on providing the market with quality materials and solutions that are 100% local, PPC and CHC-SA PrimX Jointless Flooring partnership has become an example of what the future of construction promises to bring to South Africa. With the global pandemic having shown the value that comes with […]

See you next year: Face-to-face events to resume in 2021
Face-to-face events are set to return in 2021 after this years’ virtual turn, albeit with a hybrid twist. “As the world still continues to deal with the pandemic, digital events and activations have become a valuable platform for keeping people and businesses connected during this time. It is, however, evident that, as lockdowns begin to […]

TECHNICAL FACT SHEET BEHIND THE TIMBER FACADE AT THE RIDGE
Driving down Dock Road in the direction of the Watershed complex in the V&A Waterfront, one cannot help notice the impressive and completely unique timber pleated façade warmly cladding the Waterfront’s newest building which is currently under construction. However, there is a lot more to this feature than aesthetics. Incorporating cross-laminated timber (CLT), in addition […]

Charting a course beyond the pandemic for the East African property industry
East Africa has long been a challenging region for property developers to operate in, and not as buoyant as other markets. With COVID-19 triggering a recessionary environment, the property industry, always deeply affected by changes in the economy, is identifying areas of resilience and pockets of opportunity. As investors and developers step back, regroup and […]

Building Skills for a Post-Pandemic World
dmg events hosts of the 8th annual African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo will be hosting a free, three-day CPD-accredited digital learning experience for members of the building industry from 15th to the 17th of September 2020. Programme Director, Kelly Easton says: “It has been widely recognised that qualifications need to be supported by ongoing […]

Closing the Gap: Encouraging more women to enter male-dominated industries
Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, of the 1,339 million people employed by the South African construction industry, only 11% were female[i]. While the number of men still far exceeds that of women in the sector, female representation in the construction industry has increased by 7% over the past decade[ii]. Similarly, in the sub-Saharan African transport […]
Zutari focuses on engineered impact to make a difference in Africa
Zutari, formerly known as Aurecon, is uniquely positioned to partner with clients to co-create fit-for-purpose solutions for infrastructure development 21 July 2020: The African continent requires a minimum of US$130 billion annually for infrastructure development and preservation. Highlighting this number recently, the African Development Bank also pointed out a financing gap of around US$68–$108 billion. […]

INAUGURAL BIG 5 DIGITAL FESTIVAL AFRICA EXTENDS DATES IN RESPONSE TO OVERWHELMING PARTICIPATION
The online gathering for the African infrastructure and construction community powered by The Big 5 will run from 21 to 23 July offering intelligent B2B matching, 20+ hours of interactive networking, and inspiring speakers from around the globe. Dubai, July 14: The recently announced Big 5 Digital Festival Africa is extending its dates, and will […]

Supporting SA’s Events Industry, Supporting Thousands of Jobs
South Africa hosts approximately one million delegates at business events every year, supporting over 250,000 jobs directly and indirectly. But with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, events have come to a standstill, affecting both the economy and the people they employ. Thanks to the introduction of advanced level 3 lockdown regulations, which allow for […]

NEW DIGITAL FESTIVAL BY THE BIG 5 TO CONNECT THOUSANDS OF CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS ACROSS AFRICA
On July 21-22, the first ever Big 5 Digital Festival Africa aims to rebuild confidence in the African infrastructure and construction community and define the path to the post-Covid recovery. Dubai, July 6, 2020 – The global pandemic and restrictions over travel and gatherings are posing unprecedented challenges to businesses, and the building and […]
Media Statement by Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille, MP
Issued by Chief Directorate: Communications Enquiries: Zara Nicholson: 079 416 5996 Issue Date: 1 June 2020 Today, many industries including the construction industry will return to work to commence with operations in a safe manner in line with Alert Level 3 of the Lockdown Regulations. We acknowledge that since the start of the national lockdown from […]

Building Africa’s 4IR Readiness
In this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the theme of which was Following up on our commitments: making your future work better, President Cyril Ramaphosa provided a ray of hope to the construction industry by sharing several shovel-ready projects that are coming on stream thanks to the Infrastructure Fund implementation team. “The cranes […]