Representing Our Members’ Voices Across Leading Industry Events
cidb Construction Summit opens path to discuss infrastructure development
From 13 to 14 November, we participated in the Construction Industry Development Boards’ Construction Summit, where President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Minister of Public Works Dean McPherson and industry leaders gathered to discuss the current landscape of construction procurement in South Africa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised the role of infrastructure in nation-building and improving quality of life for all citizens by ensuring access to water, sanitation, electricity, roads, schools, hospitals and other essential services – an ethos CESA advocates for every day.
Our CEO, Chris Campbell, joined the discourse as a panellist in Commission 1: Industry Performance Improvement, where the panel tackled key issues such as contractor accountability, infrastructure investment and delivery efficiency (pictured below). “While the call for better infrastructure is needed, it is the coordinated action to translate the commitment to infrastructure development into functioning, sustainable projects that should be enacted first,” Chris highlighted.
He further called for moving away from an open tendering system for ”what is actually intellectual services. If we continue in this manner, we are going to misstep. It causes a lot of frustration.”
He also noted that the infrastructure process should be approached with a total cost of ownership perspective. “We think we have done the job when the [construction is complete] and ignore the fact that we are dealing with an iceberg. Operation and maintenance should also be included in these calculations,” he noted.
He added that there was a lot of need and demand in South Africa for infrastructure services. “Our inability to get out of the blocks quickly is also lagging. The Public Procurement Act signed off last year, consultations started in February this year. For the first time there is a differentiation between procurement for strategic goods and services, from that of general goods and services,” he said. However, Chris noted that the regulation was hanging in the air and that the business was continuing as usual.
In light of these discussions, we reiterate our commitment to advocating for improvements that benefit the entire construction value chain.
B20 calls for bold reforms and coordinated action to advance African economies
We proudly attended the B20 South Africa Summit 2025, held in Sandton from 18 to 20 November, a historic event marking the first time an African country has led the G20 and B20 presidencies. Our CEO, Chris Campbell, attended the Summit, which focused on the theme “Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity through Global Cooperation.” The event convened global business leaders and policymakers to discuss critical issues, including infrastructure development, corruption, and trade.
AWSISA Conference
Our involvement in the AWSISA conference underlines the critical role consulting engineers play in bridging innovation with practical infrastructure development.
At the first Africa Water and Sanitation Technical Conference hosted by the Association of Water and Sanitation Institutions in South Africa, held at Emperor’s Palace, in Gauteng, from 9 November 2025 to 12 November, our CEO Chris Campbell contributed to a key panel discussion focused on the Water Research Commission’s report on innovation and procurement.
The panel explored how public institutions can strategically manage procurement of new-to-market or new-to-sector solutions, which often require demonstration phases before scaling.
Representing the consulting engineering perspective, Chris highlighted the partnership opportunities engineers bring in developing and implementing these innovative solutions.
Key takeaways focused on strategic planning for procurement, such as clearly identifying which service delivery areas need alternative solutions, and ring-fencing innovation projects for careful management and knowledge sharing. The panel recommended specifying desired value outcomes and life cycle costs upfront to support informed decision-making beyond just price considerations. They stressed the importance of understanding the full business model, including implementation and maintenance strategies.
Finally, the panel advised a multistage procurement process with clear communication about the stages and decision gates, allowing open bidding initially and more selective closed bidding later. This approach ensures transparency and fosters innovation adoption while managing risks effectively.
JBCC Annual Conference
Continuing with our industry advocacy initiatives, we were also excited to attend the Joint Building Contracts Committee (JBCC) Annual Conference 2025, held in Midrand on Friday, 21 November, hosted under the theme: “Contracts in a Changing World – Building Resilience and Trust in Construction.”.
Our CEO Chris Campbell and Godfrey Ramalisa, Manager: Stakeholder Liaison, Branches & YPF, attended. We’re also proud to share that Chris was a panelist in Session 4: “Construction in the Southern African Landscape,” where he shared his insights, lending a voice to our members from a consulting engineering perspective.
