Blog

Our country has certainly entered a defining period for its infrastructure future, but it’s time for the engineering sector to come together to discuss how we are going to influence and shape the outcomes of these plans. 

This week, we have seen the tragic building collapse in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg and we extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones. As a country, we must ask a difficult but necessary question: for how much longer will we continue to say “sorry” after lives are lost, without addressing the systemic failures that allow these tragedies to occur?” 

South Africa does not lack building regulations. We have established processes, professional standards, and statutory requirements designed to protect lives. The challenge lies not in the absence of oversight frameworks, but in the consistent enforcement, public awareness, and institutional capacity required to make them work. 

Public discourse around infrastructure has intensified dramatically, chronic water shortages, failing roads, power instability, port delays, maintenance backlogs and collapsed buildings are dominating conversations. To our members, industry leaders, policymakers, professionals and stakeholders, we therefore invite you to join us at the CESA Infrastructure Indaba 2026.  

Scheduled for 18 to 19 March 2026 at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) in KwaZulu-Natal, this event’s theme, “Pioneering Change: Engineering Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth”, ties in directly with what President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted in his SONA speech and will allow us to convert engineering knowledge into concrete, measurable progress that addresses our nation’s most pressing challenges. 

These are no longer abstract policy issues; they represent daily frustrations that erode quality of life, hinder economic activity, and undermine public trust.  

I was heartened by renewed emphasis on encouraging exploration as the essential first step toward early production, which was discussed at the recent Mining Indaba, held in Cape Town. Beyond mining itself, this momentum lays fertile ground for downstream opportunities: expanded infrastructure networks, job creation, residential development and sustainable community growth.  

Such linkages demonstrate how strategic sector interventions can catalyse broader economic revitalisation, precisely the kind of integrated thinking the CESA Indaba aims to foster. 

The Infrastructure Indaba 2026 offers a unique opportunity to move beyond rhetoric toward implementation and accountability. By bringing together those who plan, fund, regulate and build our nation’s systems, we can pioneer the inclusive growth South Africans deserve. Join us in Durban. Together, let’s turn challenges into lasting progress and make this the year South Africa becomes stronger through engineering excellence.