By Construction Alliance South Africa
South Africa’s construction industry has now united to form an umbrella body, the Construction Alliance South Africa (CASA) that is made up of 29 of the sectors’ professional, contractor, supplier and other bodies. The alliance was officially launched on 21 January 2021.
Industry stalwart, John Matthews who is the chairperson of CASA explained that the alliance was an important step towards uniting the voice of the industry and in facilitating smooth dialogue with government. “The need for unity in the sector cannot be over-emphasized, and because we all have the shared vision of an innovative, competitive and transformed industry, the formation of CASA is a historic and welcome achievement. It is also important as it comes at a crucial time when the industry is in engagements with the Presidency on the rollout of Strategic Integrated Infrastructure Projects to revive the economy” said Matthews.
Emphasizing the need for a united industry voice in confronting the industry’s challenges, Gregory Mofokeng of the Black Business Council in the Built Environment (BBCBE) who is the Deputy Chairperson of CASA, said it was important for the industry to forge a united front to demonstrate a serious commitment to collectively respond to industry issues.
CASA is made up of different industry bodies from across the sector with the broad objective of having joint representation in engagements on matters of mutual concern. It is expected that the alliance will not only lead a post-COVID recovery of the industry, but also tackle other long-standing industry issues that include accelerated transformation of the sector, protection of the industry from subsidised foreign competition as well as dealing with corruption and unethical business practices.
The construction industry successfully formed a COVID-19 response team at the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020. The Construction COVID-19 Rapid Response Task Team (CC19RRTT) was key in developing a well-co-ordinated industry response to the coronavirus pandemic including the safe re-activation of construction sites as lockdown restrictions were eased. The Task Team was also instrumental in co-ordinating and presenting the industry’s thinking on the national economic recovery plan. Following these recorded successes of the joint effort, the industry was in agreement on the need to form an alliance built on the shared goal of re-building the sector.
According to the Alliance’s MOU seen by SA Builder, Membership of CASA is for organisations whose members are engaged in the construction industry, through the provisioning of either goods, construction services or professional built environment services. These are classified in 2 broad categories consisting of Members and Associate Members.
Members are organisations operating in the construction industry responsible for the planning, design, construction, manufacture and/or supply of materials in the process of land development including the delivery of new buildings, public open space and services infrastructure, as well as the maintenance or rehabilitation thereof. Associate Members are organisations representing manufacturers, suppliers, professionals, and other organisations which provide supporting services and/or goods to the construction industry. This includes expert organisations, statutory bodies and special interest groups providing services linked to the construction industry.
Currently, participating organisations include the Association of Construction Project Managers (ACPM), Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS), Association of Construction Health and Safety Management (ACHASM), Association of Architectural Aluminium Manufacturers of South Africa (AAAMSA), Black Business Council in the Built Environment (BBCBE), Builders Warehouse (Suppliers and Manufacturing), Clay Brick Association of South Africa (CBASA), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Construction Management Foundation (CMF), Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA), Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA), Council for the Built Environment (CBE), Cox Yeats Attorneys, Institute for Landscape Architecture in South Africa (ILASA), Master Builders South Africa (MBSA), National Construction Incubator (NCI), National Spa & Pool Institute of Southern Africa (NSPI), South African Institute of Architects (SAIA), South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organisation (SABTACO), South African Geomatics Institute (SAGI), South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPP), South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), South African Affordable Residential Developers Association, (SAARDA), South African Association of Consulting Professional Planners (SAACPP), South African Green Industry Council (SAGIC) , South African Paint Manufacturing Association (SAPMA),Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA), South African Women in Construction and Built Environment (SAWIC & BE), The Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of South Africa (ASPASA), The Concrete Institute of South Africa (TCI), The Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (FEM), The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), Western Cape Property Development Forum (WCPDF), and Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal (MBA KZN) as the Convener.