Boksburg: Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has hailed this week's National Construction Summit as a 'historic' milestone, saying it reaffirmed government's commitment to rebuilding South Africa's construction industry through regulatory reforms, improved project delivery, and stronger accountability. The 2025 Summit, currently underway in Boksburg, is hosted by the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb), in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI).
According to South African Government News Agency, the summit is held under the theme: "Unlocking Infrastructure Delivery: Raising Construction Industry Performance", and brings together leaders from government, business, labour, and civil society to chart ways to improve infrastructure efficiency and industry performance. Addressing media on Thursday, Macpherson said the summit offered a crucial platform for the public and private sectors to evaluate progress, identify needed changes, and accelerate infrastructure delivery.
He reiterated that government remains focused on delivering infrastructure 'faster, smarter and more affordably', guided by the Construction Action Plan and strengthened new measures, such as an enhanced social facilitation framework. Macpherson welcomed new labour market data showing that the construction sector accounted for more than half of all new jobs created in the third quarter, demonstrating the sector's powerful potential to drive economic growth and reduce unemployment.
The Minister noted that the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey confirmed that in the third quarter of this year, 130,000 new jobs were created in construction-over 50% of all new jobs in the economy during that period. He highlighted the progress made since the inaugural summit in Durban last year, with green shoots of growth beginning to take root in the industry.
Significant progress was also reported in tackling construction site disruptions and extortion, commonly referred to as the construction mafia. Since the Durban Declaration signed last year, over 770 cases of construction-related extortion and intimidation have been reported, with 241 arrests and 176 convictions. In KwaZulu-Natal, disruptions have dropped from over 60 incidents per month to fewer than 10, demonstrating the effectiveness of coordinated action between law enforcement, business, and public entities.
Chairperson of the cidb, Khulile Nzo, revealed that 40 contractors have been deregistered for colluding with some cidb employees to obtain inflated gradings. "There are too many incomplete projects. Contractors have unfortunately colluded with individuals in the cidb to receive a grading that does not reflect their true competency. We need to be strict," Nzo said.
Strengthening infrastructure delivery was a key focus on the last day of the summit. Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala reaffirmed government's commitment to reforming the construction sector, rooting out corruption, and ensuring timely payment of contractors. The Deputy Minister highlighted key government initiatives aimed at strengthening infrastructure delivery, including the reconfiguration of the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) to operate four bid windows annually, the launch of a R15 billion infrastructure bond, and the establishment of the Infrastructure Finance and Implementation Support Agency by March 2026.
DPWI Director-General Sifiso Mdakwe emphasized the importance of a high-performing construction industry that ensures projects are completed on time, within budget, and according to specification. Mdakane highlighted the need for an independent body to oversee and coordinate engineering activities and infrastructure development in light of challenges related to urbanization, climate change, technological advancements, economic growth, and economic transformation.