Blog
From India to South Africa: Why Global Infrastructure Conversations Matter for South Africa
Chris Campbell, CESA CEO
Attending the International Federation of Consulting Engineers’ (FIDIC) Global Infrastructure Conference 2026, in India last month, reinforced the value of looking beyond our own borders. Global infrastructure conversations give us an opportunity to understand how other countries are approaching similar challenges, identify where experiences intersect, and consider what lessons may be relevant to our own infrastructure future.
With representatives from almost 70 countries in attendance, the conference provided an opportunity to engage with the global infrastructure and consulting engineering community and to see first-hand both the differences between countries and the remarkable similarities in the questions they are asking. While the scale, resources and circumstances may differ, the fundamental challenge remains familiar: how do we plan, finance, procure and deliver infrastructure that supports people, economies and communities over the long term?
For example, what does India have in common with South Africa when it comes to infrastructure? India is a country of extraordinary scale, with millions of houses being delivered, extensive road and toll-road networks, major investment in connectivity and rapidly growing urban centres. South Africa faces a very different set of circumstances.
India’s infrastructure programme demonstrates what can be achieved through sustained focus and investment. At the same time, the congestion and pressure visible in its rapidly growing urban areas are familiar to anyone who has experienced the challenges of South African cities.
The contexts may differ, but the questions are often the same.
How do we plan for growing populations?
How do we finance and procure infrastructure responsibly?
How do we ensure that infrastructure serves communities effectively over the long term?
And how do we create the jobs, education and economic opportunities that enable people to participate meaningfully in the future?
These questions extend well beyond roads, bridges, buildings and other physical infrastructure. Infrastructure creates the conditions in which societies and economies develop. Its impact is measured not only in kilometres of road built or houses delivered, but in the opportunities those investments create for people.
One of the most important discussions at the conference was therefore particularly relevant to South Africa: how infrastructure is procured and how decisions about cost influence the quality and long-term value of what is delivered.
Similar to calls made by us, as CESA, over the last five to ten years, it was encouraging to hear the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) advocating for a move away from procurement models that place excessive emphasis on the lowest price.
The concern is not unique to one country or region. When price becomes the dominant consideration in infrastructure procurement, there is a risk that the long-term quality, resilience and value of projects are compromised.
Qualification-based selection (QBS) offers an alternative approach, placing greater emphasis on the experience, skills and technical capability of the professionals and companies involved in delivering the required outcome.
This is not about avoiding competition. It is about ensuring that competition is meaningful and that the right questions are asked at the beginning of the procurement process.
The lowest initial price does not necessarily represent the best value. Poorly conceived or poorly delivered infrastructure can create significantly greater costs for government, communities and future generations.
The discussions in India reinforced the importance of these conversations in South Africa. While our infrastructure challenges are shaped by our own economic, social and institutional context, many of the underlying questions are shared across borders.
That is why global infrastructure conversations matter. By looking beyond our own borders, we can better understand what others are doing, where challenges are shared and what lessons may be relevant to our own infrastructure future.
As CESA, we will continue to advocate for procurement practices that recognise the value of professional expertise and place quality, resilience and long-term outcomes alongside cost when infrastructure decisions are made.
For more in-depth reading on our advocacy [as CESA] around least-cost procurement, see the links below”
The Unintended Consequences of Tendering for Consulting Engineering Services