Industry body Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) has identified five key areas to focus on this year to mitigate challenges faced by industry and the country, following its Biannual Economic and Capacity Survey 2021, or BECS 2021, released in June 2021.

The first key priority is to increase its sustainable transformation advocacy efforts regarding race, gender and technology in the sector.

Cesa will continue to maintain the standards of professionalism and build on the levels of quality management while encouraging its members to integrate sustainability into the solutions offered to the organisation’s clients.

Striving to improve business and advisory support to members and clients, with an emphasis on best practice procurement and always guided by the prescripts of Section 217 of its constitution, constitutes the third focus area for Cesa.

The organisation will also continue its in efforts of building and strengthening partnerships with government, the private-sector client bodies of its members and other stakeholders.

Ensuring that good governance and integrity prevail in the industry and profession – particularly among members – with Cesa as the “apex body” for the consulting engineering sector in the country, is the fifth focus point.

To achieve this, Cesa newly elected president Olu Soluade says the ‘TEAM’ concept – together each achieving more – will be instrumental.

“The success of any group of people is completely dependent on working together as a team, being on the same page, with a united outlook. The time has come for us all to get involved in contributing to the economic recovery of our country to get all hands on deck.”

Soluade asserts that Cesa is committed to acting in the service of the industry and country, to protecting lives and livelihoods, and to encouraging others to do the same.

“We remain available and willing to make sacrifices to achieve our vision. As a voluntary association, we by nature serve with pride, integrity, honour and discipline.”

Support Structure

Cesa CEO Chris Campbell tells Engineering News that he strives to continue to instil these values and promote the progress the association has made over the years.

The challenges that the sector is facing are concerning and have been compounded by the global pandemic.

“The slow pace at which projects are planned and implemented needs to be addressed,” he adds.

Campbell explains that this problem relating to the slow pace at which projects are coming to market affects all disciplines of engineering including civil, electrical, mechanical, industrial and chemical.

Client bodies, namely government entities, must work on developing better processes to improve on the roll-out of projects.

“Development and sustaining that development, is paramount when it comes to re-establishing investor confidence which will result in making your place and your country conducive to investment from foreign entities.”

He enthuses that South Africa remains well positioned as a launchpad for potential development into sub-Saharan Africa.

“It is important – not unlike most other developed and developing countries in the world – that we look at how we can use infrastructure development to catalyse economic growth,” Campbell concludes.