Nicholas Mahlangu has been promoted to Director of Citi-Con, a leading building and infrastructure maintenance and repair company.

Mahlangu joined the company in 2004 and has since participated in many of the company’s flagship projects. Considering Citi-Con’s broad turnkey offering, each of these have provided him with ample opportunity to develop and hone his skills and expertise.

Among the many highlights of his 21-year-long career at the company was overseeing the extensive renovation of high-rise buildings in the Johannesburg central-business district (CBD). These were technically complex undertakings that involved major concrete repairs, ranging from fixing minor surface cracks through to serious structural issues. One of these projects was a two-year undertaking, alone.

“I have always enjoyed restoring buildings in the CBDs. These structures require regular maintenance to ensure that they remain safe and functional. Yet, due to historical underinvestment and economic constraints, many property owners have deferred maintenance. Breathing new life into dilapidated structures and helping to rejuvenate our CBDs with their rich heritages is always a great feeling. Johannesburg CBD, in particular, provides immense opportunity considering its designation as an Urban Development Zone and the tax incentives that it provides investors. Even minor improvements to buildings in these deteriorating hubs – if left to an expert contractor – can raise their value two to three times their purchase amount,” Mahlangu says.

He says that he looks forward to helping to steer Citi-Con on a new growth trajectory. With escalating construction costs for new builds and uncertain economic times, developers and institutions will continue to pursue properties with refurbishment or conversion potential. This bodes well for the company, over-and-above Citi-Con’s work refurbishing industrial infrastructure, which also requires specialist skills. A case in point is the niche that the company has carved out for itself in the silo rehabilitation market. These structures are notoriously expensive to build and, as essential components of production, cannot simply be decommissioned, demolished and rebuilt. The most cost-effective solution is to prolong their service life via sound maintenance and repair practices. Certainly, Citi-Con’s expertise

refurbishing waste-water treatment plants and reservoirs will also continue be put to good use, considering the focus on water infrastructure to avert a looming water and sanitation crisis.

Meanwhile, he says that one of the biggest risks threatening the larger industry is a severe shortage of skilled workers. There are fewer experienced professionals available to perform essential and specialist tasks. “Members of our team have been with us for many years and continue to play an important role in building our company – irrespective of the role that they perform. We will continue to ensure that we retain the immense skills, experience and valuable tacit knowledge that resides within the company. This while also providing ample opportunity for our employees to keep on developing their skills so that they too can continue growing and developing their careers and as individuals,” Mahlangu concludes.