Blog

The 2025 Infrastructure Indaba, held under the theme “Engineering the Future We Want: Mobilising for Sustainable Development,” brought together leaders from engineering, government, and the private sector to tackle South Africa’s most pressing infrastructure challenges and opportunities. Over the two days – 18-19 March, industry experts engaged in dynamic discussions, shared innovative solutions, and formulated actionable strategies to drive sustainable development and economic growth.

Minister Dean Macpherson delivered a powerful address, urging South African engineers abroad to return home and contribute to rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure. His statement: The time for talk is over; now is the time for action,” – struck a chord with attendees, reinforcing the urgency of addressing the country’s infrastructure needs. A key takeaway from the Indaba was the vital role of collaboration between government, the private sector, and CESA member firms in achieving sustainable infrastructure development.

The conference concluded with a set of resolutions aimed at addressing critical challenges in the engineering and infrastructure sectors and included:

• Enhancing Collaboration – Breaking down silos between engineers, planners, policymakers, and communities to enable integrated infrastructure development.

• Retaining and Attracting Talent – Creating an environment where South African engineers can thrive locally while incentivizing skilled professionals abroad to return home.

• Promoting Sustainable Infrastructure – Prioritising climate-resilient solutions that align with long-term development goals.

• Strengthening Governance Frameworks – Advocating for ethical leadership and corruption-free procurement processes to ensure transparency and accountability.

These resolutions serve as a roadmap for transforming South Africa’s infrastructure landscape, driving innovation, sustainability, and resilience. Please access the full conference resolutions here.

The success of this Indaba would not have been possible without the support of our partners, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, and delegates.

Our sponsors’ support was instrumental in making this event a success, demonstrating their commitment to sustainable infrastructure development. Our sponsors included: Construction Education & Training Authority (CETA); Chrisen Consulting; Construction Industry Development Board (cidb); Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA); Joint Building Contracts Committee (JBCC); JG Afrika; KABE; Knight Piésold; Makhaotse, Narasimulu & Associates (MNA) and PeraGage.

We extend our appreciation to our exhibitors for showcasing cutting-edge solutions that highlight the power of engineering excellence. These included: ACTOM; Aon; Avenir Holdings; Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI); BVi Group; CESA School of Consulting Engineering; Dynamic Fluid Control (DFC); GLS Consulting; Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA); KABE; Macsteel Fluid Control; Mapei; Med-TechEngineers; Reside Summit; SIKA South Africa; Silversoft; SMEC and Woolpert.

A special thank you to our media partners – Creamer Media’s Engineering News and Mining Weekly, Infrastructure News, and IMIESA for amplifying our message.

We also recognise the invaluable contributions of our facilitators, speakers, and our master of ceremonies, along with the dedicated CESA organising team, whose efforts ensured a seamless and impactful event.

The momentum generated at this Indaba must now translate into tangible action. Whether through advocacy, public-private partnerships, mentorship programmes, knowledge-sharing, or implementing innovative solutions, every stakeholder has a role in shaping the future of South Africa’s infrastructure.

We extend our gratitude to all CESA members for their continued support of engineering excellence. We look forward to collaborating with you at future events as we work towards a thriving, sustainable future for South Africa. Looking forward to seeing all of you at our #CESAIndaba2026, in KwaZulu-Natal, next year March!

Resources:

• Selected presentations are available here.
• Photographs are available on the CESA Indaba Mobile App, and recordings of select sessions may be found on the CESA Facebook Page.
• To claim your CPD Points, please complete the Conference Survey by clicking here.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Campbell