Citizens of this country, you and I included, don’t need reminding that service delivery is under strain. Water outages, ageing power infrastructure, potholed roads and failing municipal systems are a daily reality across the country. It is a reminder that functioning infrastructure is what allows service delivery, and dignity, to feel ordinary. When it fails, we all feel it immediately, but the reasons behind that failure are rarely simple.

Infrastructure outcomes depend on every stakeholder in the delivery ecosystem fulfilling their role – government, the private sector, contractors, financiers, academia, communities and qualified professionals all share responsibility for ensuring infrastructure is planned, delivered, maintained and managed to serve society effectively. Engineers are not solely responsible for that outcome. But sustainable, quality infrastructure cannot be achieved without the technical expertise of engineering practitioners, and their contribution begins long before construction starts and continues throughout the infrastructure lifecycle.

Too often in South Africa, our expertise is only called in during a reactive stage, for example, when a building falls down. This is why we need to be in the rooms where decisions about infrastructure are being taken, not just called in to explain what went wrong after the fact.

This is why, under the theme, “Service Delivery for a Sustainable Future: If not Engineers, then Who?”, we will sharpen our voice. This is not a new push, but part of a sustained effort to keep our advocacy at the forefront. We are not the messiahs of service delivery. As engineers, we are, however, an indispensable partner within the infrastructure ecosystem, positioned as trusted advisors and solution partners whose expertise strengthens delivery outcomes for all South Africans. We intend to say so, plainly, boldly, and apolitically, at every opportunity.

To earn that seat in the room, we are amplifying our existing message – a louder, a stronger, more visible presence across the media landscape, as we continue to draw on our advocacy efforts.

That same conviction is what drives our investment in the next generation. Throughout Youth Month, we shared the profiles of some of some of our young professionals, because the future of this profession also rests on their shoulders. I would encourage every member firm to keep that momentum going by registering your young professionals for the 14th CESA Young Professionals Sustainability Imbizo, taking place from 19 to 20 August 2026, in Midrand, Johannesburg. It remains our flagship platform for developing the leaders who will carry this advocacy forward, register now at  www.cesa.co.za/eventreg/?id=454.

Showcasing the technical skill and expertise of our profession will also be showcased at the 2026 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards, on 20 August at Vodacom World in Midrand. I urge every member firm to be a part of this celebration and secure your table. For more information, email: bonolo@cesa.co.za