Industry body Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) has announced the finalists of the 2025 Aon Engineering Excellence Awards, which honour outstanding projects, organisations and individuals that shape the built environment through innovation.

The yearly awards, now in its fifty-third year, are a cornerstone of the consulting engineering industry, recognising not only excellence in design and execution but also in the transformative role engineering plays in society, CESA states.

Aon South Africa, as a platinum sponsor of the awards, says it is important to support initiatives that drive excellence and capacity building within the industry, particularly as consulting engineers often lay the foundation for economic stability and improved quality of life.

This year’s awards will be hosted on August 21, at Vodacom World, in Midrand.

The finalists for the 2025 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards are:

Young Engineer of the Year Award Category:

• Daryl Gouws from Zutari
• Dhishan Mahabeer from Makhaotse, Narasimulu and Associates
• Jemma Dawson from Atana
• Imraan Akhalwaya from WSP Africa
• Lindokuhle Mbatha from Zutari
• Kelton Govender from WSP Africa
• Kyle Naidoo from Makhaotse, Narasimulu and Associates
• Tumelo Fosa from Nyeleti Consulting
• Pierre Vivier from MSW Consulting
• Tinashe Jubylant Mukalela from AvenirHoldings
• Christian de Charmoy from Bigen
• Gisella Mulder from Hatch
• Warren McLachlan from SMEC South Africa

Mentor of the Year Award Category:

• Dieter Storbeck from Bigen
• Waseemah Isaacs from Knight Piésold
• Tumisang Gabriel from SMEC South Africa

Mentoring Company of the Year Award Category:

• AvenirHoldings
• Bigen Group
• Ensync Engineers
• Jones & Wagener
• Makhaotse, Narasimulu and Associates

Business Excellence Award Category:

• Bigen Group
• BVi Consulting Engineers
• ROMH Consulting

Projects Less than R50-Million Category:

• AECOM for flood damage repairs on various roads in the Grabouw area for the Western Cape government
• BVi Consulting Engineers for the rehabilitation of road infrastructure for the Century City Property Owners Association
• Infraconsult for the Thulamela Roads and Stormwater Master Plan for the Thulamela local municipality
• Knight Piésold for the Cooling Tower Structural Assessment and Repair Methodologies Project for Palabora Mining Company HBIS
• Maninga Engineering for the Wits Roy McAlpine Adult Burns Unit
• MPAMOT for the upgrade of divisional road 1458 for the Western Cape government
• Naidu Consulting for the Canelands Pipe and Pedestrian bridge for the eThekwini municipality
• Pienaar & Erwee Engineers for the Radley Landgoed microgrid and hybrid PV installation
• Atana for the Mountain View low-cost housing project for the Western Cape government

Projects Ranging from R50-Million to R250-Million Award Category:

• AECOM for the improvement of N2 Beacon Way Intersection on National Route 2 Section 8 for the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)
• AECOM for Vanrhyns Pass Rehabilitation for the Western Cape government
• Ensync Engineers for the Mpolweni water supply project for the uMgungundlovu district municipality
• Jones & Wagener for the rehabilitation of the sinkholes on National Road R21 Section 2 Northbound for Sanral
• Nyeleti Consulting for the rehabilitation and strengthening of National Road R504 Section 4 for Sanral
• Zutari for the Simba Isando project for PepsiCo
• SMEC for the Arbeidsgenot Primary School for the Free State Department of Education, by the Development Bank of Southern Africa
• Zutari for the N1 sinkhole repair project for Sanral

Projects Ranging from R250-Million to R1-Billion Award Category:

• Bosch Projects for the Vlakfontein reservoir and associated infrastructure for Rand Water
• MSW Consulting and Naidu Consulting Joint Venture, for the augmentation of Nsezi Water Treatment Works for uMngeni-uThukela Water
• WSP for the Menlyn Maine Residential Phase 2 project, for the Menlyn Maine Development Company
• Zutari for the N2 slope stabilisation project for Sanral
• WSP for Project Raptor for South32
• Zutari for The Rubik project for Abland

Mega Projects Greater than R1-Billion Award Category:

• Jones & Wagener for the development of the narrow hot strip mill facility for Scaw Metals
• WSP for the delivery of a battery energy storage system (BESS) project for Eskom 
• Zutari for the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone project for the Coega Development Corporation

Best International Project Award Category:

• Bigen for upgrading of the railway line between Walvis Bay and Kranzberg in Namibia, for the Ministry of Works and Transport Namibia
• Knight Piésold for Karowe Diamond Mine Fine Residue Deposit (FRD2) project, for Lucara Botswana
• MPAMOT for the construction of advance infrastructure civil works and utilities at Podihadi and Katse in Lesotho, for the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
• SMEC for the upgrading of Ha Mpiti to Sehlaba-thebe road in Lesotho, for the Lesotho Roads Directorate
• Zutari for the Kenya Wine Agencies Tatu City greenfield project, in Kenya
• MPAMOT for construction of Polihali Village in Lesotho, for the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
• Zutari for Projecto Ravina Mussungue in Angola, for Afavias Engenharia e Construções

Engineering Technology and Innovation: Water Sanitation and Hygiene Design Excellence Award Category:

• Ingerop for the raising of Hazelmere dam, for the Department of Water and Sanitation.