CM assistant editor Olufunmi Majekodunmi caught up with Siva Reddy, senior vice-president of CIOB Africa, in Durban last month. This is what he had to say.

There has been a major transformation in construction in South Africa. Before we became a democratic country, the industry was dysfunctional and racist. Now the government has legislated positive discrimination and things are changing slowly.

There is a new mechanism to award public sector work to those previously disadvantaged by colour and sex. Female companies are given preference. There are also laws that encourage non-whites into management.

While I think there is now a general acceptance for the need to change, we still have a long way to go in addressing the disparities of the past.

But right now we’re in a boom. There is high consumer confidence, interest rates are extremely low and there is a huge demand for luxury accommodation, office buildings and retail.

We suffer from a huge lack of resources and skills. The boom has taken most people off-guard and thrown up huge constraints and delays in materials. Cement has never been produced at this level before and there have been delays in brick deliveries.

I am hopeful for the future. There is going to be a demand for professionals for a long time to come. It is difficult for construction because the industry is cyclical - if there is a downturn in the industry you lose people with skills, and then you have lost them for good. This is why government is trying to create a sustainable industry and hope we won’t get the sort of ups and downs that we have endured in the past.

Source

Construction Manager