The Big 5 Construct South Africa 2022 in Johannesburg brought together key private and public sector stakeholders in the construction industry to address the industry’s most important challenges and engage in important dialogue on building Africa for long-term prosperity and sustainable growth.
The event, which included major industry sponsors including the South African Development Bank, Hisense, Interfile, NEXTEC, PPC Cement SA and SANRAL, was attended by Dr Kgosiensho Ramogopa, Director of Investment and Infrastructure in the Office of the President of South Africa.
The first day began with a stakeholder engagement forum in partnership with NAFBI and sponsored by PPC Cement SA. The forum provided an open platform for discussion around the industry’s current challenges and the measures needed to foster job creation and economic stability, and panelists included Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and other leading industry experts.
Coinciding with the Africa Smart Cities Summit on 8 June, sponsors PPC Cement SA and NEXTEC hosted a VIP Investment Breakfast to spotlight the need for constructive dialogue around smart city investments across the continent. Sean Bennett, CEO of NEXTEC, told the audience that the explosive growth of Africa’s urban population is either a huge opportunity or a potential major challenge for the industry, highlighting the important role technology plays in attracting global capital and driving economic transformation.
Mr Bennett listed several reasons why smart cities are such an exciting opportunity, saying: “Technology is enabling us to use capital more efficiently to solve more problems at lower cost. For example, we can use AI technology to map our road networks and spot cracks long before they turn into potholes, while South Africa’s world-class connectivity means we can deliver better education for the same budget.”
He also explained how technology can be used to solve problems with scarce resources such as “non-revenue water,” which accounts for about 40% of water losses and includes problems such as leakage, inaccurate billing, and water theft.
“Technologies already exist to reduce the loss of scarce resources such as water, and in fact can address most of the problems that affect each of us in this country.”
The Smart Conversation followed a presentation on the Lanseria Smart City Initiative led by Gauteng Economic Development Deputy Director-General Jacques Kosseff alongside Dr Ramokgopa, examining the initiative’s progress to date, investment plans and funding gaps.
The aim of the Lanseria Smart City development is to build South Africa’s first post-apartheid city, based on ‘best practice’ in urban sustainability and the principles that underpin smart cities. The city, which will be built around Lanseria International Airport in northern Johannesburg, is a project expected to take approximately 25 years to complete.
When asked by an audience member whether the focus should be on building smart cities or managing existing metropolitan areas, Dr. Ramokpoga said it was not an either/or decision and that lessons learned from mistakes made in managing current cities need to be applied in building smart cities.
“Smart and sustainable cities must strive to leverage technological advances to solve existing social problems. In doing so, they can mitigate the unintended consequences of unmanaged and rampant urbanization as a result of the uplift of rural factors,” he said.
As part of the Big 5 Construct Southern Africa General Workshop Program, Machiel Odendaal, Technical Manager at MODENA AEC in South Africa, continued the conversation on digital transformation within the built environment.
He said the construction industry is one of the slowest in adopting digital technology and shared several benefits of cloud technology for the construction industry, including a common data environment, improved connectivity for all project stakeholders, and access to big data to better manage project risks and opportunities and improve operational efficiency.
Tracy-Lee Behr, portfolio director at leading global events company dmg events and organizer of The Big 5 Construct Southern Africa, said that overall the event was a great success. “What made this year’s trade show even more special was that for the first time in more than two years, industry players from around the world were able to connect directly, do valuable business, and learn from world-class experts to get back to business.”
The big five are building South Africa
Big 5 Construct Southern Africa (formerly Africa Construction Expo) is a major contributor to the economic growth, recovery and transformation of Southern Africa’s construction industry, with a particular focus on facilitating face-to-face buyer and seller engagement and showcasing the most innovative solutions for the region.
Big 5 Construct Southern Africa will be co-located with Totally Concrete Expo, African Smart Cities Summit, Deck & Flooring Africa, and Woodex for Africa. The five events will be held from June 7th to 9th, 2022 at the Gallagher Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa.
total concrete expo
Totally Concrete Expo is a one-stop destination for industry professionals and project owners looking to source superior materials, see product innovation in action, and learn about the latest technology applications. Interact and connect with industry experts and companies to help you get your project started on time and on budget.
Totally Concrete Expo will be held concurrently with The Big 5 Construct Southern Africa, African Smart Cities Summit, Imbizo 21, Deck & Flooring Africa and Woodex for Africa. The five events will be held from June 7th to 9th, 2022 at the Gallagher Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa.
