To our valued members, as we step into 2026, we extend our best wishes to you, your teams, and your families for a successful year ahead. This year holds immense potential for the consulting engineering sector as South Africa accelerates infrastructure delivery for inclusive growth and economic recovery. 

When considering our theme for 2026, “If Not Engineers, Then Who? Reclaiming Our Purpose, Securing Our Future”, which was outlined by our new President Dr Vishal Haripersad during our Media Day earlier this month, it is clear that engineers still have a very important role to play in our country. To quote Vishal, “Where expertise is respected, where planning is sound, and where maintenance is prioritsed, infrastructure still works.” 

In the wake of the recent disasters affecting several provinces, there is an opportunity for government to draw on the specialised engineering expertise within our membership to support effective recovery and rebuilding efforts. 

This follows the government’s declaration of a national disaster under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act of 2002, prompted by torrential rains, widespread flooding, and severe weather that have tragically claimed lives, while damaging thousands of homes, washing away roads and bridges and causing extensive environmental and infrastructure harm in provinces including Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. The declaration also recognises ongoing challenges such as wildfires in the Western and Eastern Cape and Free State, as well as severe impacts like the drought in Knysna. 

We implore our members to stand ready to offer their technical expertise to local governments in the hardest-hit areas, working in partnership with government and stakeholders through established processes. 

These devastating events have once again exposed vulnerabilities in our built environment and underscored the urgent need for proactive, resilient infrastructure design and maintenance. Our members play a significant role in this recovery, by implementing effective flood management through advanced stormwater systems, riverbank reinforcements, and early-warning technologies; ensuring rebuilding is done sustainably and correctly; and delivering innovative, climate-adaptive solutions that safeguard lives, livelihoods, and the economy. 

As we have long advocated, reconstruction must adhere to transparent, quality-based procurement processes to deliver safe, durable infrastructure, not short-term fixes that invite inefficiency or repeated failure.  

 We know that our members are there to support with high-quality and efficient projects and therefore, this year, our efforts will be focused on advocating for our members. We will continue to champion fair procurement, infrastructure investment and industry excellence on your behalf and therefore, I am excited to announce the theme for our flagship Indaba that will take place in Durban, in March: Pioneering Change: Engineering Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth. This theme underscores our collective role in designing resilient, equitable and sustainable infrastructure that benefits all South Africans.  

CESA is only as strong as the active participation of its members and the volunteers from member companies. I call on every firm to engage – whether by attending the Indaba, industry events, joining committees, contributing to advocacy, or nominating projects for awards. Your involvement drives real impact. 

Let’s make 2026 a year of bold action, collaboration and excellence so that together, we can pioneer change.