The Provincial Stakeholder Workshops were hosted in line with the 2009 National Stakeholder Forum theme of ‘Responding to the Requirements for Efficiencies and Empowerment through Strategic Partnerships’.

More and more women are breaking the stereotype to succeed in the construction industry, which is traditionally a male domain. The challenge is for industry to be as creative as possible, and in that way attract, retain and develop the women of this country. Once momentum moves in the right direction, there is no telling what the women of this country could achieve.

Viwe Gqwetha - Nurcha's Chief Operating Officer and all round "go to” guy briefly discusses the company itself, his past, his present and his optimistic view of the horizon.

In all construction industries, the distribution of the contracting firms, by size, is the shape of a pyramid, with the SMEs forming the overwhelming majority of firms at the base of the pyramid. Many of these firms are rather fragile and transient. Of these, some have low commitment to construction, and perform poorly in both physical output and service terms, generally giving the industry a bad name. However, among the large number of SMEs, there are those which have the potential to be developed into bigger and technically better businesses. These firms have dedicated leadership, are committed to delivering good service on their projects, and are concerned with continuous performance improvement. These are the firms that make the difference between a strong base for the pyramid, and a weak one. However, this development is only possible if the situation is right.

In our second issue we ran an article by Cees Bruggemans, First National Bank’s Chief Economist, titled ‘The Greatest Boom of all Time’. It illustrates the explosive pace at which this world is growing, and the inherent opportunities deep within. He describes the massive structural shifts taking place in global society, most notably a population growth of seven billion people in a single generation, 1950 – 2050, which will never happen again.

Over 30 years ago, Madadeni Township, Newcastle, South Africa, was rife with the negative impact of a brutal and blinkered regime. A township with a youth culture that perceived money as the end and status as the goal. A culture dramatically affected by the shackles of apartheid, where one would dream of an education, but beyond that – dreams were all you had. When considering careers, the construction industry (in hard-hats and overalls) was never held in high regard, a misguided perception that still exists today. Youths dreamt of becoming doctors or lawyers or businessmen because money, respect and status were sure to follow. Ronnie Khoza came from Madadeni.