Cape Town: The Council for the Built Environment is set to host the Inaugural Public Works Infrastructure Summit. Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson is expected to deliver the keynote address at the summit, which will be held on 1 April 2025.
According to South African Government News Agency, the summit will be conducted under the theme: ‘Turning South Africa into a construction site: Growing the economy and creating jobs.’ It will explore strategies for optimizing asset life cycles, utilizing public-private partnerships, and ensuring equitable infrastructure investments. The discussions will also cover infrastructure audits, ethical governance, and innovative measures for effective asset management, property management, and green social infrastructure.
Addressing Parliament earlier this month, Macpherson committed that the department will formalize its approach to public asset management with the introduction of technical task teams in cities across the country. It is envisaged that this approach will attract private sector investment to revitalize these assets for productive use.
In attendance will be CEOs and leaders from the broader built environment and construction industry, financial institutions, insurance companies, developers, asset and property managers, real estate entities, the Minister and his deputy, and MECs. They will discuss and agree on collaborative efforts to achieve the goal of turning South Africa into a construction site.
The CBE, an entity of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, regulates the built environment professions and provides regulatory frameworks within various statutory councils. It plays a leadership role, provides strategic direction, and advises the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure on policy matters impacting the built environment sector.