South Africa’s construction industry has united to form a single umbrella body, Construction Alliance South Africa (CASA), made up of 29 professional, contractor, supplier and other bodies in the industry.

Industry stalwart John Matthews has been appointed as CASA chairperson.

CASA’s origins can be traced to the Construction Covid-19 Rapid Response Task Team, which was established in April.

This task team, with its more than 30 organisation members, provided a collective construction industry response to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and other matters emanating from the pandemic.

The task team was key in developing a coordinated industry response to the pandemic, including the safe reactivation of construction sites as lockdown restrictions were eased.

The team was also instrumental in coordinating and presenting the industry’s thinking on the national economic recovery plan.

Following the success achieved through the joint effort, the industry was in agreement on the need to form an alliance built on the shared goal of rebuilding the sector.

This task team recognised the value of a coordinated and collaborative effort and the need for broad-based ongoing collaboration, consultation and engagement with industry stakeholders to achieve the ideal of a sustainable construction industry, explains Matthews.

He notes that the alliance is an important step towards uniting the voice of the industry and facilitating smooth dialogue with government.

Gregory Mofokeng, of the Black Business Council in the Built Environment, serves as the deputy chairperson of CASA.

He notes that it is important for the industry to forge a united front to demonstrate a serious commitment to collectively respond to industry issues.

It is expected that the CASA alliance will lead the post-Covid recovery of the construction industry, while it will also tackle other long-standing industry issues, which include the accelerated transformation of the sector and protection of the industry from “subsidised foreign competition”, as well as dealing with corruption and unethical business practices.

CASA consists of the following members:

Association of Architectural Aluminium Manufacturers of South Africa

Association of Construction Health and Safety Management

Association of Construction Project Managers

Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of South Africa

Black Business Council in the Built Environment

Consulting Engineers South Africa

Chartered Institute of Building

Clay Brick Association of South Africa

Concrete Manufacturers Association

Construction Management Foundation

Cox Yeats Attorneys

Institute for Landscape Architecture in South Africa

Master Builders South Africa

National Construction Incubator

National Spa & Pool Institute of Southern Africa

South African Affordable Residential Developers Association

South African Association of Consulting Professional Planners

South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organisation

South African Geomatics Institute

South African Green Industry Council

South African Institute of Architects

South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners

South African Paint Manufacturing Association

South African Property Owners Association

South African Women in Construction and Built Environment

The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors

The Concrete Institute

The South African Institution of Civil Engineering

Western Cape Property Development Forum

Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal, which serves as the convenor.